KUALA LUMPUR: The government aims to boost the country's vaccination rate to 400,000 a day in August in order to achieve 80 per cent herd immunity by September.
Covid-19 National Immunisation Programme (NIP) coordinating minister Khairy Jamaluddin said the government is targeting a maximum vaccination capacity of 300,000 per day in July.
"Initially, we aimed for 200,000 doses per day in July, but on June 15, we reached the target and successfully administered over 200,000 doses for three consecutive days.
"Therefore, we are now aiming for 300,000 doses in July and to increase it further to 400,000 doses per day in August.
"If we can do this, I am confident we can achieve our target of vaccinating 80 per cent of the population by the third quarter of the year instead of in December," the Science, Technology and Innovation Minister said during a special joint press conference with Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz on the National Recovery Plan.
The highest vaccination rate was recorded on June 17 with a total of 221,706 doses administered (177,876 first doses and 43,830 second doses).
Malaysia, he said, was able to boost its vaccination capacity primarily due to increased vaccine delivery and supply, and increased capacity at all Covid-19 vaccine delivery centres (PPV).
"For July, we are projected to receive 12.8 million doses of vaccines and 14.4 million doses in August. This depends on vaccine supply, but I am confident following assurance given by vaccine suppliers."
Khairy said the government has to date signed agreements to procure 73.1 million doses of vaccine that would cover 119.65 per cent of the population.
This, he said does not include the 6.4 million doses (to cover 10 per cent of the population) of Gamaleya's Sputnik V, which is pending National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA) approval.
"We have procured 6.4 million doses (AstraZeneca, Janssen and Novavax) via Covax (WHO). Of the 1.39 million doses of AstraZeneca, 828,000 have been sent.
"While, 44.8 million doses of Pfizer-Biotech vaccine (covering 70 per cent population), 6.4 million doses of AZ (10 per cent), 12 million doses of Sinovac (18.75 per cent) and 3.5 million doses of CanSino (10.9 per cent) have been procured to date."
Sharing further projections, he noted that it was possible for states like Selangor, Sarawak, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya to achieve 80 per cent coverage or herd immunity by September, and Labuan by August.
This, he said would be possible if Selangor administers 135,948 doses in July and 165,096 doses in August, Sarawak (38,541 in July and 57,557 in August), KL (47,257 in July and 11,862 in August), Putrajaya (1,927 in July and 2,260 in August) and Labuan (2,820 in July).
"This means that the total vaccination rate nationwide in July must be 389,589 and 433,796 in August, only then we can achieve our target."
Meanwhile, Khairy said the government is in talks with countries for mutual recognition of Malaysia's vaccination certificate.
"MySejahtera is our vaccination passport where the QR code enables us to identify those who have received the jab."
Khairy, however, stressed that it is important for people, including vaccine recipients to continue adhering to the SOP as "it is not a substitute for vaccine".