MALAYSIA got off on the right footing in its war against the Covid-19 pandemic under the stewardship of Health Director-General Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah (pix).
With a medical expert spearheading the fight, we have seen a systematic approach in curbing the virus from spreading.
We have been able to contain the contagion through prompt detection of new Covid-19 clusters and fast tracking of people exposed to infection through contact-tracing apps.
It was right of us to place our trust in a professional to get the work done. Hitherto, there has not been a misstep in our approach.
Letâs not falter as we are starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel with a global initiative aimed at working with vaccine manufacturers to provide countries worldwide equitable access to safe and effective vaccines, once they are licensed and approved.
Covax, the vaccines pillar of the Access to Covid-19 Tools Accelerator, is co-led by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and the World Health Organisation (WHO).
It has joined forces with developed and developing countriesâ vaccine manufacturers. It is also working with governments and manufacturers to ensure vaccines are available worldwide to higher-income as well as lower-income countries.
But Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba said Malaysia is in no hurry to get the vaccine. While we play the waiting game, countries are signing up to the Covax Facility. As of yesterday, 170 countries are on board for the facility.
Covaxâs goal is to deliver two billion doses of safe, effective vaccines that have passed regulatory approval with WHO prequalification by the end of 2021.
These vaccines will be offered equally to all participating countries, proportional to their populations. Priority will be given to healthcare workers before covering vulnerable groups, such as the elderly and those with pre-existing conditions.
Further doses will then be made available based on country need, vulnerability and Covid-19 threat.
The Covax Facility will also maintain a buffer of doses for emergency and humanitarian use, including dealing with severe outbreaks before they spiral out of control.
By not participating in this, we have to rely on the emergency dosages in the event of an outbreak of catastrophic scale. There is a Sept 18 deadline for us to join so that we can meet binding commitments.
This global initiative could be the endgame in our fight against the virus.
Read this story on our iPaper: Weâve come a long way in Covid fight, letâs not be left out of the endgame
