According to Khairy, the private vaccination market in the country has been delayed due to the limited global vaccine supply.

“We anticipate that the private market can take off by August this year,” he said during an engagement session with the National Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia  today.

He added that the private market would allow industry players to procure their own vaccine supplies.

He also touched on the use of anti-parasitic drug Ivermectin as an early intervention tactic that could help reduce the strain on Malaysia’s health system and put the country on the fast track to recovery.

Currently, the health ministry, World Health Organization and the US-based Food and Drug Administration all do not recommend the use of Ivermectin to prevent or treat Covid-19.

He noted that clinical trials in Malaysia for the use of the drug are underway, with these involving the drug’s application in high-risk, late-stage patients.

“Clinical trial for Ivermectin has been conducted since May 31 and we can expect the trial’s result by September. We will make a decision based on the trial’s result.”

He added that the vaccination programme for the port and cargo workers will begin tomorrow.

We have received numerous applications from different sectors to be considered as frontliners but the constraint is the limited supply of vaccines. We will begin with the transport sector.

“I, along with transport minister Wee Ka Siong will be in Port Klang tomorrow to begin the vaccination programme for port and cargo personnel,” he said.

Khairy also said that plans are underway to start the vaccination of e-hailing delivery riders by next month.

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