KJ explains science behind vaccinating only 70pct of population

 

PARLIAMENT | Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin (BN-Rembau) said Malaysia only needs to vaccinate 70 percent of its population to achieve herd immunity.

"When we achieve herd immunity, the spread (of Covid-19) to those who are not vaccinated will not happen. That is the science behind herd immunity.

"We follow the '1 - 1/R0' formula. That is the formula we are using to calculate the percentage needed for herd immunity," he told the Dewan Rakyat.

Khairy explained that among those who will not be vaccinated initially are children under the age of 12 because most vaccines have not been tested on this group.

His ministry will allocate RM3 billion to acquire the vaccine although the final bill and source country were still being finalised.

Khairy was speaking during the ministerial winding up of the policy stage debate on Budget 2021 during which Ahmad Maslan (BN-Pontian) interjected and asked why the government was only intending to vaccinate 30 percent of the population.

Ahmad had asked if the "30 percent" were being "marginalised" or whether they were in the "T20" (Top 20 income) category.

To a question from Lim Lip Eng (DAP-Kepong), Khairy said Malaysia would have a portfolio of vaccines from different sources because different vaccines might have slightly different applications.

The government will study the clinical data on the efficacy of the vaccine candidates and administer them to the right people.

"For instance, if a vaccine from a particular company is more suited for the elderly, then we will use that vaccine exclusively for that group," he said.

Khairy also revealed that Malaysia was currently in discussions with vaccine makers in the US, Europe, Russia and China.

Responding to a prior suggestion by Mukhriz Mahathir (Pejuang-Jerlun), Khairy said Malaysia did not have the necessary facilities to produce its own vaccine.

To a question from Mohd Azis Jamman (Warisan-Sepanggar), Khairy said the government will ensure that the safety data from each vaccine is scrutinised.

"We will ensure that not a single Malaysian will be a lab rat," he said.

Azis had asked for assurances that the vaccines, expected to arrive in the first quarter of next year, would not cause harm citing how flu vaccines had recently caused deaths in South Korea. - Mkini