Apply opt-in option to Pfizer vaccine too, APHM suggests

KUALA LUMPUR: The method of 'first come, first served' used for the AstraZeneca vaccine in the National COVID-19 Immunisation Programme, should also be applied to the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.

In fact, President of the Association of Private Hospitals Malaysia (APHM), Datuk Dr Kuljit Singh said this could be applied to all citizens and residents in the country from time to time in addition to the AstraZeneca roll out.

He said this could be tightly regulated by Special Committee on COVID-19 Vaccine Supply Access Guarantee (JKJAV) based on stock available without depriving any vulnerable group.

"The proposed ad-hoc vaccination from time to time can be managed by the private hospitals based on MySejahtera appointments," he said in a statement here today.

He said the recent effort by the Coordinating Minister of the National COVID-19 Immunisation Programme Khairy Jamaluddin on opening up the option of 'first come, first served' for the AstraZeneca vaccine was very well received by the public despite the remote probability of a rare blood clotting complication reported elsewhere in the world.

"We suggest that similar methodology of opening options for a given number of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in the National COVID-19 Immunisation Programme to the public without following the subscribed phase," he said.

Dr Kuljit also pointed out that this will greatly help those who require the vaccines early for international travel and for other economic frontliners particularly now with the recent increase of cases and the potential spread of new variants.

Prior to this, Khairy said the rollout of the AstraZeneca vaccine will be expanded and maintained under the voluntary programme after all 268,000 appointment slots were snapped in just over three hours last Sunday.

-- BERNAMA