Govt to brief PAC on vaccine deals if confidentiality respected

 

COVID-19 | The government will brief the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on the deals made with Covid-19 vaccine makers if the committee agrees to a non-disclosure agreement.

This came as DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang continues to press the government to disclose how much it is paying pharmaceutical company Pfizer for the vaccines.

"Wish I could (publicly disclose the details of the agreement), but we have to respect confidentiality agreements that we sign with the vaccine manufacturers.

"Hope to brief the PAC if they agree to a non-disclosure agreement," Science and Technology Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said on Twitter.

He also noted that the PAC is currently led by a DAP MP.

Besides Pfizer, Malaysia has also signed a deal with pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, but the details are also under wraps.

Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin yesterday said the country is procuring 6.4 million doses from AstraZeneca.

Khairy earlier said Lim was incorrect to claim that Belgium is paying 20 times less for the Pfizer vaccine compared to Malaysia. 

Lim's comparison to Belgium was made based on a statement by its secretary of state, Eva De Bleeker, who accidentally revealed that her country paid €12 (approximately RM60) per dose for Pfizer's vaccine.

Given that Malaysia has an estimated population of 31 million, the RM3 billion allocation would work out to about RM138 per person to vaccinate about 70 percent of the population.

According to the Belgian government, Pfizer was selling the vaccine for US$19.50 (approximately RM80) per dose in the United States and US$14.76 (approximately RM60) in the European Union.

AstraZeneca is priced at US$4 (approximately RM16.25) per dose in the US and US$2.19 (approximately RM8.89) in the EU.

Khairy initially clarified that the RM3 billion is an overall estimate for a range of Covid-19 vaccines, and not just from Pfizer, to immunise at least 70 percent of the population.

He later stated as at Dec 22, RM2.05 billion has been allocated to immunise 26.5 million Malaysians, or about 82.8 percent of the population. - Mkini