KOTA BARU: Malaysia will accept travellers who have been inoculated with the Covid-19 vaccine produced by India.
Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said the government would allow the entry of such travellers, and it would allow those from India to enter Malaysia because the vaccines produced by Bharat Biotech had been approved by World Health Organisation (WHO).
"Malaysia would like to congratulate India for its success in getting recognition from the WHO as well as for managing to produce its own vaccine.
"And if a traveller who has received the vaccine dose wanted to visit Malaysia, we will allow them to come here even though our country does not use this type of vaccine," he told reporters after visiting Raja Perempuan Zainab II Hospital (HRPZll) here today.
Khairy, who is on a working visit to Kelantan, was accompanied by Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah and Health Ministry secretary-general Datuk Mohd Shafiq Abdullah.
Also present were state health director Datuk Dr Zaini Hussin and the hospital's director Datuk Dr Selasawati Ghazali.
Khairy said currently, Malaysia would not use India's vaccine because the supply of the other types of vaccines in the country was sufficient.
"Our Covid-19 vaccine supplies are still enough for our people, and so far, we have no plan to purchase any further vaccine doses."
The WHO recently granted approval for emergency use to India's government-backed Covid-19 vaccine, Covaxin.
The vaccine was approved in India in January, while the third phase of clinical trials was still under way, sparking some concern and criticism.
Bharat Biotech, which makes the vaccine, has since published data suggesting 78 per cent efficacy.
WHO said in a tweet that it believed the benefits far outweighed the risks.