KUALA LUMPUR, July 11 — As of June 11, approximately 9,159,151 Covid-19 vaccine doses stored in the Health Ministry’s (MOH) facilities or warehouses have expired, representing approximately 10.8 per cent of the total doses obtained through procurement and donations.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said the total loss, including logistics and storage costs, amounted to RM185 million (US$ 40 million).
“The disposal and reporting of expired vaccines in the custody of the MOH are conducted in accordance with asset inventory management procedures,” he said during the question-and-answer session in the Dewan Rakyat today.
Dr Dzulkefly was responding to Jelebu MP Datuk Seri Jalaluddin Alias’ query on the exact number of Covid-19 vaccines that had expired and the estimated financial loss incurred by the government.
Since the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme began on February 24, 2021, the government has received 84.5 million doses of vaccine through procurement and donations.
On the issue of losses, the minister acknowledged that the unprecedented nature of the pandemic meant there were no standard operating procedures (SOP), best practices, or benchmarks in place at the time.
“I understand that any surplus of vaccines was a consequence of the intense competition to obtain them during the early stages of the pandemic,” he said, adding that having faced this pandemic, SOPs and best practices have been developed to better handle future pandemics.
On adverse effects following immunisation caused by the Covid-19 vaccine, Dr Dzulkefly said that common side effects amounted to approximately 368 cases, while serious side effects were recorded in 26 cases, which involved hospital admissions, extended hospital stays and myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle).
— Bernama
