Vaccine independence worth exploring, say experts
PETALING JAYA: The pursuit of vaccine independence may be worthwhile from the health and economic standpoints, according to a health expert and an economist. Khor Swee Kheng, a public health and policy expert, and Carmelo Ferlito, who heads the Center for Market Education, told FMT they believed such independence could…
PETALING JAYA: The pursuit of vaccine independence may be worthwhile from the health and economic standpoints, according to a health expert and an economist.
Khor Swee Kheng, a public health and policy expert, and Carmelo Ferlito, who heads the Center for Market Education, told FMT they believed such independence could help both in long-term management of Covid-19 and in combating future pandemics.
They were commenting on a statement by Russian ambassador to Malaysia Naiyl M Latypov that his country was willing to share its expertise to help Malaysia reduce its dependency on other countries.
Malaysia has already signed a deal to acquire more than six million doses of Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine as part of the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme. More than 50 countries have ordered the vaccine.
Khor said technology transfers would help support the domestic biotechnology industry, which was crucial for long-term management of the pandemic.
“Domestic production allows Malaysia to escape the problem of global vaccine shortages, which have caused bidding wars,” he said.
He said some level of vaccine independence would be a crucial public policy tool and healthcare asset should the country be forced to respond to future health crises.
Ferlito said Malaysia should explore deals like the one Russia was offering, given the concerns being raised over a reduction in foreign investment flows.
“The government should be open to it, but with the support of the private sector, which is better positioned to understand if such a decision makes sense from an economic standpoint,” he said.
“This private sector expertise would be important in determining how much this sort of setup would cost and whether money would actually be saved in the long term.
“What we have to avoid is investing in know-how and production capacity that will be ready only when the pandemic is over and the population has already been inoculated.”
Ferlito said while a vaccine facility would be an important factor in combating future crises should they occur, the likelihood of this needed to be seriously considered before such a commitment was made. — Free Malaysia Today