COVID-19 vaccination for over 51,500 frontliners in transportation industry starts today

PORT KLANG: More than 51,500 frontliners in the transportation industry will receive their COVID-19 vaccine shots starting today, Transport Minister Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong announced.

He said the Ministry of Transport (MOT) had been given the nod by the National COVID-19 Immunisation Task Force (CITF) yesterday to implement the vaccination programme for the frontliners from the land, sea and air transportation sectors, such sailors and workers at seaports, airports and rail services.

He said during the implementation of the Movement Control Order (MCO), the transportation sector is among the essential services that need to continue being operational 24 hours a day, seven days a week to ensure the transportation of goods and passengers is not badly affected.

"As such, the MOT with the cooperation from MOSTI (Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation) and MOH (Ministry of Health) has launched the vaccination programme for the transportation industry involving the three services namely sea, air and land," he told a press conference after visiting the vaccination centre PPV for the sea transport sector here today.

Also present was MOSTI Minister cum Coordination Minister for the National COVID-19 Immunisation Programme, Khairy Jamaluddin.

Wee said transportation companies involved in the programme will jointly bear the cost for the opening of PPV while the vaccine supply will be provided free of charge by the government.

The minister said the first phase of the vaccination programme for the transportation industry kicked off with the vaccination of 10,000 sailors and seaport workers at the private vaccination centre operated by the Port Klang Authority (PKA) at the Port Klang Sports Club multipurpose hall.

He said PKA will also oversee the vaccination for seaport workers, while the Maritime Trade Central Fund (KWPPL) under the Marine Department will oversee the vaccination for sailors.

He explained that the facility will benefit a total of 18,596 seaport workers and 53 supervisors in the central region who are eligible to receive the vaccine for the first phase of the programme.

"There is a total of 59,155 seaport workers and supervisors in Malaysia. The vaccine eligibility criteria will be determined by the MOH and will take into account various factors including pregnancy or other medical conditions of the recipients," he said.

According to Wee, the programme will continue for the frontliners in the air transportation sector from July 5 at the KL International Airport (KLIA) Main Terminal Building involving 22,243 airport staff, as well as airline and cargo workers.

For the land transportation sector, Wee said several PPVs will be opened across the country to ensure all 19,259 rail workers and bus drivers to be vaccinated soon.

He said the MOT and the CITF were also in the midst of coordinating vaccinations for taxi/e-hailing drivers, as well foodpanda dan Grab riders, totalling 355,064 nationwide.

The programme will be implemented at public PPVs with all costs funded by the government, he said.

Meanwhile, We said the vaccination for the sailors was launched today in conjunction with the Day of the Seafarer celebrated annually on June 25.

“MOT is committed to working closely with the CITF to ensure success of the National COVID-19 Immunisation Programme and to get all workers in the transportation industry vaccinated as soon as possible,” he added.

-- BERNAMA