IPOH: Perak today began vaccinating private health workers in the state under phase one of the National COVID-19 Immunisation Programme, said Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.

In a brief statement that was uploaded via his official Facebook page, he said health workers began converging on the Indera Mulia Stadium, which was turned into a vaccination centre, from 10.30 am.

"Many among the GPs (doctors or general practitioners) were present to get vaccinated. Protect Oneself, Protect Everyone," he said in the statement together with a photograph.

Dr Noor Hisham also announced that a report by the Special Committee on COVID-19 Vaccine Supply Access Guarantee showed that a total of 9,892 doses of vaccine had been given in Perak as of yesterday.

On March 3, Perak received another delivery of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine which was then sent to four Vaccine Storage Centres (PSV) for implementation of the first phase of the National COVID-19 Immunisation Programme.

The state had earlier received 22,230 doses of vaccine for the first phase of the COVID-19 immunisation programme, involving 39,760 frontliners, which is expected to be completed by the end of April.

The frontliners comprised 22,094 staff under the Health Ministry, with the remaining 17,666 from other departments who are directly involved in the COVID-19 prevention and control activities.

The first supply of the vaccine arrived in Perak on Feb 24, with Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Saarani Mohamad being one of the first to receive the vaccine jab on March 1.

-- BERNAMA