KUALA LUMPUR – The Special Committee on Covid-19 Vaccine Supply Access Guarantee (JKJAV) has been told by the prime minister to review and simplify the jab registration process, following concerns about inaccessibility and delays.
This includes enabling automatic registration.
In a live televised address this morning, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the move will ensure as many Malaysians as possible are immunised.
“I take note of the anxiety of many people who have not yet received their vaccination appointment dates.
“In view of this, I have directed JKJAV to ensure that those who have registered through any of the available platforms receive their appointment dates as soon as possible.”
So far, 13 million have registered for vaccination against the coronavirus, he said.
This represents only 51% of the population eligible for inoculation.
Muhyiddin said he has heard the grievances of rural residents, including the elderly living in villages and interior areas, who find it difficult to access vaccination.
“For this, I have directed all the ministries and government agencies involved to employ every government asset to make it more convenient for these people to get the vaccine.”
He expressed confidence that the country will achieve herd immunity by year-end as more vaccines are expected to arrive soon, and more inoculation centres set up.
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Some 16 million vaccine doses will be delivered to Malaysia in the next two months, he said.
He said the increase in supply will push up the daily vaccination rate to 150,000 per day by end-June, up from the current 100,000 jabs daily, with the figure to rise further moving forward.
At the moment, there are 280 vaccination centres operating nationwide, with 300 more to be opened in the near future to cater to the increased vaccine supply, he added.
To assist in the government’s efforts, said Muhyiddin, some 1,000 private clinics will be involved in the national vaccination programme by the end of this month.
“To ensure that no one is left behind, we have also launched mobile vaccination units, which will enter rural areas and villages to facilitate the process for rural residents, Orang Asli, senior citizens, and disabled and homeless individuals.”
Special vaccination centres for the disabled have also been set up, including one in Brickfields catering to those who are visually impaired, he said.
“Additionally, the Federal Territories Ministry has introduced its own mobile vaccination truck, which aims to inoculate 400,000 KL residents, especially in densely populated areas.”
He said over three million vaccine doses have been administered to date, with more than two million people having received their first shot.
This puts Malaysia’s first-dose vaccination rate as among the highest in the region, he said.
“This achievement did not come easy, as vaccine supply is beyond our control. Malaysia needs to compete with other countries and rely on vaccine manufacturers to obtain supplies.” – The Vibes, June 5, 2021
