Malaysia offers COVID-19 vaccinations to foreign residents, undocumented migrants

 

FILE PHOTO: Foreign workers wait in line to be tested for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outside a clinic in Kajang, Malaysia October 26, 2020. REUTERS/Lim Huey Teng/File Photo

 

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysia will extend its free COVID-19 vaccination programme to all foreigners residing in the country, including students, refugees and undocumented migrants, the government said on Thursday.

 

The Southeast Asian country is expected to begin its vaccine rollout at the end of this month, aiming to cover at least 80% of its 32 million population within a year.

 

"A safe environment free from COVID-19 can only be achieved when as many Malaysian residents as possible are immunised," the government committee on vaccine supply said in a statement.

 

"During a pandemic, providing vaccinations is a humanitarian step."

 

The committee, however, said priority will be given to Malaysians, with the vaccination schedule for foreigners to be announced at a later date.

 

Separately, science minister Khairy Jamaluddin said foreigners eligible for free vaccinations will include asylum-seekers registered with the U.N. refugee agency UNHCR and undocumented migrants.

 

"(The committee) will be discussing further on how this can be implemented," he said on Twitter, adding that authorities will bring in state governments, foreign embassies and non-government organisations to assist in vaccine distribution.

 

Malaysia has secured more than enough vaccines to reach its targets after agreeing supply deals with U.S. drugmaker Pfizer and German partner BioNTech, Russia's Gamaleya Research Institute as well as China's Sinovac Biotech Ltd and CanSino Biologics.

 

It had also secured two separate vaccine shipments from AstraZeneca PLC, including one arranged under the global COVAX facility.

 

The first shipment of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines is expected to arrive on Feb. 26.

 

Malaysia has seen a sharp spike in coronavirus infections in recent weeks, after having largely reined in the epidemic for most of last year.

 

That has pushed total cases past 250,000, including 923 deaths, as of Wednesday.

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2021-02-11

 

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Appears to be ahead of Thailand with delivery of Pfizer-BioNTec vaccines end of February vs June.

seems like good thinking, vaccinating everyone.  other countries should follow this lead.

Foreign residents only. No mention of tourists or retirees. So not all foreigners 

8 minutes ago, madmen said:

Foreign residents only. No mention of tourists or retirees. So not all foreigners 

Malaysia is closed to tourists.

 

Its in the first sentence, All foreigners residing in the country, that will include retirees.

12 minutes ago, 1Gringo said:

seems like good thinking, vaccinating everyone.  other countries should follow this lead.

A few are, but the only mention I've seen in Thailand on this subject has been by media reports stating that the Health Minister apparently said foreigners will be vaccinated.

Based on the facts that I've seen no other official statement confirming this and that he is being continuously misquoted and clarifications need to be issued to refute what it was understood he said.

I'll believe it when I see it.

sadly most of us here in thailand are nothing more than a long stay TOURIST with no rights