One of them is Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

Making sure it's safe

Muhyiddin said during a televised message quoted by New Straits Times that he will be among the first batch to receive the vaccine to show that it is safe.

After the first batch, the frontliners would be the next group to be offered the vaccination, Muhyiddin said.

"After the frontliners, the vaccine will be given to the target groups comprising high risk groups including the senior citizens, those with noncommunicable diseases (NCD) and chronic respiratory illnesses," he was quoted as saying.

According to Muhyiddin, the government has so far secured 6.4 million doses or 10 per cent more vaccines after inking a deal with AstraZeneca, a research-based biopharmaceutical company.

In total, the government has a guaranteed 40 per cent supply of vaccines via the agreements with the Covax Facility, Pfizer and AstraZeneca.

The ongoing negotiations with Sinovac, CanSino and Gamaleya will see Malaysia securing dosages of more than 80 per cent of the country's population, or 26.5 million Malaysians.

On top of that, Muhyiddin has assured Malaysians that the government would continue to negotiate with other pharmaceutical companies to ensure that Malaysia would have enough.

Muhyiddin added that government can expect the first batch of vaccine, around one million vials, from Pfizer to arrive and administered to the target groups as early as February 2021.