KUALA LUMPUR – Only teachers with more than one chronic condition or multiple comorbidities will be inoculated during the first phase of the country’s Covid-19 vaccination programme.
According to a circular signed by Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba and Science and Technology Minister Khairy Jamaluddin today, these teachers fall under the second category of the recently released Guidelines for Determining the List of Officers for the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme.
The guidelines were released by the Covid-19 Vaccine Supplies Access Guarantee Special Committee.
According to the circular, those to be prioritised are high-risk groups that are directly exposed to individuals with Covid-19, patient samples, and environments that have a high likelihood of being sources of infection.
This consists of two categories.
The first category involves members directly involved with treatment and healthcare, covering institutions under the Health Ministry, Defence Ministry, and training and private hospitals.
The second category comprises those involved in the health sector, security agencies, security forces, and essential services, the circular read.
The circular also defines those in the first category as technical members comprising of professional and managerial groups; paramedics and auxiliary staff handling patients, test samples, disinfection and public health monitoring; and those directly interacting with the public.
This includes those working in both the public and private healthcare sectors.
Those who fall under the first category and grouped as management and professional personnel are medical, dentistry, pharmaceutical, science, and public health officials.
Paramedics and auxiliary personnel include nurses, sanitisation and assistant medical officers, assistant pharmaceutical officers, X-ray assistants, medical lab technicians, treatment assistants, drivers, and public health drivers.
The second category covers general practitioners, private dentists, traditional and complementary medical practitioners, and registered private labs.
The security forces group includes police, army, civil defence, and fire and rescue personnel, among others.
Those who also fall under the second category are social service workers, customs officers, Health Ministry contractors, and dialysis centre operators.
Cabinet members, excos, parliamentarians, and government officials involved in the overseas visits of cabinet members are also placed under this category. – The Vibes, March 1, 2021
