NIBONG TEBAL – Those registered for vaccination under the Public-Private Partnership Industrial Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (Pikas) should receive their jabs by September.
International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali said realising the target, however, depends on manpower and vaccine supply.
“It is subject to vaccine supply. At yesterday’s cabinet meeting, the Health Ministry, and Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry assured that supply will be increased come August,” he told a press conference today.
“However, priority is still given to the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme, which involves frontliners, people with comorbidities, and the elderly.
“If supply is sufficient, it is possible to vaccinate more than two million workers in the manufacturing sector by September.”
He did not specify whether these workers will receive only the first dose or both shots by then.
Azmin today visited the Bukit Jawi Golf Resort here, which is involved in Pikas with the cooperation of 22 companies. Also present was Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow.
The minister said the programme has seen encouraging response – some 1,200 companies with almost 200,000 employees nationwide have registered.
“Currently, Pikas is established only in Penang, Johor, Selangor and Sarawak. We will expand to other states soon.”
The initiative, aimed at ramping up vaccinations in the manufacturing sector, was launched yesterday in Selangor by Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
Participating firms can get their staff vaccinated at selected vaccination centres, or on-site at designated factories and industrial locations. – The Vibes, June 17, 2021
