Dr Chin: No tests administered during Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine dry run

Dr Chin Zin Hing

KUCHING (Feb 2): No tests were administered during the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine dry run which used saline water as a substitute for the vaccine on Jan 29 at the Belaga health clinic, said State Health Department director Dr Chin Zin Hing.

He clarified in a statement responding to some netizens who had questioned the purpose of the dry run that the dry run activity was solely to determine if the vaccine could make the journey from its source to its destination at its required temperature of negative 75 degrees Celsius.

“The dry run activity carried out on 29th January at the Belaga health clinic was an exercise and trial using only a saline-filled bottle before the real delivery and receiving of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine.

“Thus, no testing was carried out on any individuals. The dry run activity is an extremely important activity as a start before the real vaccines accepted by the Ministry of Health are used in vaccination centres nationwide,” Dr Chin said.

He noted that the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine requires a storage temperature of negative 75 degrees Celsius (give or take negative 15 degrees Celsius), which had posed a challenge in the distribution process of the vaccine.

Dr Chin noted that for the dry run activity, the thermal shipping container containing dry ice and equipped with thermal loggers used to contain the vaccine had been flown via commercial flight to Subang from Belgium, the country distributing the vaccine, before being flown to Kuching and delivered via land to Bintulu and then to the Belaga health clinic.

“It was found that the thermal shipping container used by the Pfizer party had successfully maintained the required temperature of between negative 90 degrees Celsius to negative 60 degrees Celsius,” he added.

Thus, through the success of the dry run, the Ministry of Health hopes that it can assist all parties in planning the best steps to maintain the vaccine’s quality, safety and effectiveness for all Malaysians in general and Sarawakians, especially those in rural areas.

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