Malaysia ranks top 10 in the world for Covid-19 vaccination rate


For over a year, many of us have witnessed the swirling effects of the pandemic on the lives and livelihoods of millions of people around the world. Not only did we have to spend most of our time indoors when lockdowns were imposed, we also had to give up a normal social life to curb the spread of the virus.

But there is light at the end of the tunnel, as news that Malaysia is ranking in the top 10 countries globally for Covid-19 vaccination rate, suggesting how close we are to achieving herd immunity.


Covid-19 vaccination tracker by The New York Times


Malaysia Covid-19 vaccination rate
Image credit: The New York Times

According to the Covid World Vaccination Tracker by The New York Times, more than 4.02 billion people around the world or 52.3% of the world population have received at least one vaccine dose. This site is updated regularly, and it tracks coronavirus vaccinations around the world and lists countries with the leading vaccination rates.

The United Arab Emirates ranks first in the list of countries with 89% of its population fully vaccinated. Portugal ranks second with 87% of its population fully vaccinated followed by Malta with 85% and Singapore with 82%. Other countries in the top 10 spot are Chile – 81%, Cambodia – 80%, Spain – 79%, Qatar – 78% and Iceland – 77%.


77% of Malaysians fully vaccinated as of 8th November 2021


Malaysia Covid-19 vaccination rate
Image credit: COVIDNOW

Malaysia ranks 10th in the list of countries with the highest vaccination rate, with 77% of our people fully vaccinated. Meanwhile, the percentage of people who have received at least one dose of vaccine stands at 80%. This means Malaysia is just 3% away from achieving its 80% herd immunity target by July 2022.

However, there are slight variations in the numbers. According to the health ministry’s COVIDNOW website, Malaysia’s fully vaccinated rate as of 8th November 2021 stands at 75.3% while the percentage of the population having received at least one dose stands at 78.2%. From February 2021, Malaysia has administered over 50 million vaccine doses in total.

It is worth noting here that Malaysia, along with Singapore and Cambodia, are the only three Southeast Asian countries to be in the top 20 spot for high vaccination rates.


Covid-19 vaccination rate in Malaysia


It’s indeed uplifting to know that Malaysia is well on its way to achieving early herd immunity than its set target next year. Kudos to the health authorities for effectively managing the pandemic by ramping up vaccinations.

Nonetheless, there are still a lot of people who are not vaccinated yet and we hope those who haven’t will come forward to do so. Vaccines protect us from Covid-19 and it’s important for us to do our part in ensuring public safety.

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Cover image adapted from: Esmonde Yong and @JKJAVMY

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