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SHAH ALAM: Due to the low number of registrations for the National Covid-19 Immunization Program, the government has decided to include additional groups in the second phase of the exercise.
This second phase, which begins in April, was initially intended only for people aged 60 and over, as well as high-risk groups.
Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said the additional phase two groups will include “economic leaders.”
But Khairy, who is the coordinating minister of the National Covid-19 Immunization Program, was quick to point out that the second phase of the program will continue to emphasize vulnerable and high-risk groups.
“I want to emphasize that the elderly, high-risk groups, the disabled and those with chronic diseases will continue to be prioritized in the second phase,” Khairy said at a press conference at the Selangor state secretariat yesterday.
Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari was also at the press conference, held after the Selangor Covid-19 Immunization Working Group meeting here.
Khairy will announce the agreed groups next Monday.
“There are some groups categorized as economic leaders that should be paid attention to when administering the vaccine,” he added.
He also said that the level of awareness in Selangor is high as the state has registered the highest number of registrations for Covid-19 vaccination.
The state also recorded the highest number of vaccine doses administered in the country during phase one of the exercise, which is still ongoing.
“The level of awareness in Selangor is quite high and we will improve our vaccine registration strategy through face-to-face registration through a program in collaboration with the state government machinery, as well as with the help of non-governmental organizations”, Khairy said.
He said the National Disaster Management Agency and other organizations will also be tied up to go from house to house, and will also initiate searches in areas frequented by people.
The minister added that some 90 vaccination centers are operational in Selangor and his ministry is in the middle of a coordination to see if it is necessary to create more centers of this type.
He said the later phases will be further improved after analyzing the first phase, as the government intends to increase the number of vaccines in the next phase.
He added that the opening of additional vaccination centers also depended on the amount of vaccines arriving from abroad.
Meanwhile, Amirudin said that more than 83% of those registered for the first phase of the inoculation program have received their first dose.
He added that the first phase in the state is expected to be completed by the end of April.
“My goal after this would be to focus on preparing for the second and third phases, such as concentrating on the registries and logistics related to the vaccination centers,” Amirudin said.
He added that preparations for the subsequent phases will be managed by district administrations and officials at the state level.
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