BATU PAHAT: A more realistic target date for the reopening of Malaysia’s borders would be some time early in the second quarter of the year, health minister Khairy Jamaluddin said today.
He said the two-week grace period given to the ministry by Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob does not mean the borders will be reopened in two weeks.
The two-week period is for the ministry to prepare guidelines for the border reopening.
Khairy said prior discussion at several levels would be needed. Guidelines must first be presented to the Covid-19 pandemic management committee, chaired by the prime minister, as well as the Covid-19 ministers’ quartet before being brought to the Cabinet.
“And that is why a huge decision as this cannot be made at the ministry level as this is a major policy. I expect early in the second quarter of the year as a realistic target, but let the prime minister decide on this,” he told reporters after a visit to Klinik Kurnia here.
Asked about a delay in the US on whether to allow Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine for children aged under five, Khairy said technical working groups were regularly advising the health ministry on vaccine suitability.
“We have two processes, one is approval by the regulatory body which is the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency, the other is views from expert groups. The expert groups are now looking at data of the vaccine for children aged below five, and there are no recommendations to the ministry so far,” he said.
The US Food and Drug Administration is reported to have said more data was needed on the vaccine, delaying for at least two months a decision for using the vaccine on children aged six months to four years.