(Bloomberg) -- Malaysia will sign an agreement on Monday for AstraZeneca Plc. to supply Covid-19 vaccine doses to cover a fifth of the country's population, state news agency Bernama reported, citing Health Minister Adham Baba.
The government last month ordered 12.8 million doses of the Pfizer Inc.-BioNTech SE vaccine to inoculate about 20% of the population. It also has an agreement with the World Health Organization's Covax facility for enough doses to vaccinate 10% of its people, Bernama reported.
The country will start vaccinating frontline workers early next year if the deals are concluded, Bernama cited the minister as saying.
Malaysia seeks to vaccinate 70% of its population, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said this month. The country is struggling to contain a fresh wave of cases that emerged in late September, with new daily infections hitting a record 2,234 on Dec. 10.
READ: Southeast Asia Covid-19 Vaccine Tracker: Who Will Get What, When
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