KUALA LUMPUR: Delegation of the European Union to Malaysia is expected to issue a statement tomorrow on the status of AstraZeneca vaccine, following a meeting with the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry (Mosti).
A source said the meeting will focus on Covid-19 EU Digital Certificate that purportedly only recognise Astra Zeneca vaccine that was approved by European Medicines Agency (EMA) and a statement will subsequently be issued.
"The EU Delegation to Malaysia will only issue a statement tomorrow after a meeting with Mosti," he told the NSTP today.
Mosti Minister Khairy Jamaluddin had sought further clarification from the European Union on the matter following reports quoting the European Medicines Agency (EMA) as only approving AstraZeneca vaccines manufactured in certain countries including among the bloc's member states.
Khairy who is Covid-19 National Immunisation Programme (NIP) coordinating minister also urged the EU to expand the bloc's vaccine recognition to all Covid-19 vaccines that have secured emergency use listing under the World Health Organisation (WHO).
He said a meeting was subsequently planned with representatives from the EU Delegation to Malaysia on the matter.
"As long as the vaccines have been listed by the WHO, that country (under the EU) should accept travellers who have been vaccinated using those vaccines," he was reported saying on July 5.
The EMA report added that the approval did not not cover AstraZeneca doses made by South Korea's SK Bioscience or Thailand's Siam Bioscience.
These South Korean and Thai-made AstraZeneca vaccines are currently used in Malaysia because they had been sent here via the Covid-19 Vaccines Global Access (Covax) facility and direct orders.
Khairy also said Malaysia would ask the developer of the AstraZeneca vaccine to inform the EU that the formulation used to manufacture the vaccine at all of their manufacturing facilities are all the same.