No more mega PPVs as mass vaccination exercise ends, says KJ

KUALA LUMPUR – The government will cease operating mega vaccination centres (PPVs) soon with most of the nation’s population having received their doses, said Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin.

While he did not mention a specific date for full closure of large-scale PPVs, Khairy said future doses such as booster shots will be administered at private and public clinics.

“When we reach a stage where vaccine recipients have received their doses, there is no need to have large PPVs in operation because this involves costs and so on,” he told reporters.

“When we are satisfied with an area reaching good coverage, we will be closing PPVs.”

Khairy said this after officially closing the mega PPV at the World Trade Centre (WTC) here this evening where the last AstraZeneca recipient received his jab this evening.

During the closing ceremony, Khairy said the PPV at WTC was the largest in the country, and was the site of administration of nearly 1.3 million AstraZeneca doses for some 645,000 people since it opened in March.

He later told reporters that his ministry will hold a meeting with the Science, Innovation, and Technology Ministry (Mosti) tomorrow to discuss the status of several PPVs that are still in operation.

“This is to see whether there are those left behind, and foreign citizens. We will discuss this matter, but for large PPVs, we have reached the objective and today we have closed the PPV that has given most vaccinations in Malaysia, that is the WTC.”

However, he said some smaller PPVs will still operate for teen vaccinations, although this programme will be implemented in many schools as well.

“For booster shots, we will do them via private and government clinics,” he said.

“So the mass vaccination exercise is complete.”

On vaccinations for adolescents, Khairy said there have been no serious side effects reported so far.

Asked whether participants of vaccine trials will get vaccination certificates on MySejahtera, Khairy said the ministry is addressing the matter and allowing those who received placebos to be vaccinated. – The Vibes, October 3, 2021