By Sheeda Fathil
SHAH ALAM, May 3 — The shortage in the country’s supply of Covid-19 vaccines has caused the delay in the Selangor government’s plans to purchase the vaccine for its people, says state executive councillor for public health.
Dr Siti Mariah Mahmud said the state government had already set an allocation to buy the vaccine.
“However, the manufacturers are not able to supply the vaccine to Selangor. The Federal government is also facing a shortage.
“The insufficient supply has affected the immunisation process in getting the people inoculated simultaneously.
“Therefore, the supplies will be distributed in stages and as of now, we will provide the people what the federal government has supplied to the state. We cannot run ahead before them,” she said in the forum titled ‘Covid-19 Vaccine: Ask anything’ that was broadcast live on her Facebook page today.
Also present were Selangor Task Force for Covid-19 (STFC) director Dr Mohammad Farhan Rusli and its member Dato’ Dr Khalid Ibrahim.
Meanwhile, Dr Siti Mariah had advised the public to not be picky over the specific brand of Covid-19 vaccine they want to receive, whether it is the Pfizer vaccine or AstraZeneca.
“Choosing a specific brand would cause a shortage of certain vaccine. We must understand that the immunisation process should prioritise those who need it most such as the frontliners, followed by the elderly group and the rest,” she said.
On April 4, the Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari had said that the Selangor government is expected to decide on which Covid-19 vaccine it will buy from the Federal administration by early May.
The state administration was reviewing five vaccines ordered by the Federal government and that at least RM100 million has been set aside to make a purchase.
Selangor intends to procure some five million doses for the people in the state.
