1,000 general practitioner (GP) clinics will be assigned to administer the Covid-19 vaccine by the end of June in hopes of making it easier for people to access vaccines, said Khairy Jamaluddin.
The Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation (MOSTI) also said that more private hospitals will be used as vaccination centres (PPV) and that drive-thru PPVs will soon be opened.
“Mobile outreach teams have also been set up at the state level,” he said in a video on his official Instagram account.
“These teams have been and will be mobilised to care homes for the elderly and disabled, kampungs, homeless shelters, Orang Asli villages and difficult to reach areas so that no one is left without a vaccine.”
Khairy said that the plan was to vaccinate 80% of the population by the end of the year. However, he added that Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin has instructed him to “get this done much quicker.”
“We are adding more vaccination centres or PPVs including mega PPVs that can handle 5,000 to 10,000 doses a day,” he said.
“I know people are concerned about crowds at mega PPVs. I have instructed strict SOPs and crowd control measures so overcrowding is minimised.”
He added that they have also re-negotiated delivery schedules so that vaccines will arrive sooner.
“We will receive the entire 12 million doses of our Sinovac order by the end of July and we will receive 25 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine in the third quarter of this year,” he said.
“We are also increasing our vaccination capacity as well. We are now hitting 100,000 doses a day. We want to double this by July.”
Khairy goes on to say that he is visiting states to coordinate with the state governments on this accelerated rollout and to empower these states and districts to implement the vaccination programme in order to “overcome their unique and local challenges”.
The vaccination programme will also be rolled out to industries and economic sectors that have to remain open during the Movement Control Order (MCO).
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“This is important because we know the virus spreads with greater mobility. People who are out and about working need to be vaccinated to protect them and everyone else,” he said.
“I understand the frustration from everyone waiting for their turn to be vaccinated. With the rising number of cases, there is greater urgency.”
“The Covid-19 Immunisation Taskforce will continue to accelerate our rate of vaccination to ensure we can protect as many people as possible, as quickly as possible.”
Also read: Some Missed Vaccine Appointments In Pahang Caused By Viral Fake News Among Elderly
