PETALING JAYA - A total of 8.5 million Covid-19 vaccine doses worth RM505 million (S$145 million) in Malaysia have expired as of June 1, said the country’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) report on the management of the Covid-19 outbreak.

Vaccines were procured by the Health Ministry based on its projections of the number of doses needed, said the PAC report, which was published on the official Parliament website on Monday.

However, the decreased demand for vaccination, delay in receiving vaccines and vaccines donated by foreign countries had led to an excess, said the PAC.

The total projected vaccine requirement was 83.3 million doses. A total of 72.8 million doses were used, which was 88 per cent of the projection.

“Although the expiration date was extended up to 18 months from the date the Covid-19 vaccine was produced... 8.5 million vaccine doses worth RM505 million have expired as of June 1, 2023,” the PAC said in its report.

The PAC also said 850,000 units of personal protective equipment (PPE) boot covers worth RM927,000 are due to expire at the end of 2024. They are at risk of being wasted if they remain unused.

In its recommendations, the PAC said the Health Ministry must ensure that the excess PPE is used before the expiry date.

It also said the government must play a role in ensuring that local industry is able to produce medical equipment and pharmaceuticals to avoid dependence on foreign countries in empowering the public healthcare system. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK