Drive-thru PPV will be expanded nationwide - Dr Noor Azmi

IPOH: The drive-thru vaccination centre (PPV) will be expanded nationwide in an effort to achieve the herd immunity soon, said Deputy Health Minister Datuk Dr Noor Azmi Ghazali.

He said the drive-thru method could speed up the vaccination process under the National COVID-19 Immunisation Programme, especially for the second dose of the vaccines.

"The pilot study at the Universiti Sains Malaysia Hospital (HUSM) (in Kelantan) is a success and now we are doing it at UKM Specialist Children's Hospital (in Cheras) and Kinta district. So, I believe this drive-thru method will increase the number of people being vaccinated," he said.

Dr Noor Azmi spoke to reporters after visiting the Kinta PPV at Indera Mulia Stadium here today.

He said two more drive-thru PPVs in Perak, namely at the stadium and the Sultan Azlan Shah roundabout in Bandar Meru Raya will start operating on June 10 with a target of 2,400 vaccine doses administered a day compared to 1,800 doses previously.

The Ministry of Health had held a meeting with the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI) to expedite the delivery of more vaccine supplies to the state recently, he added.

Meanwhile, state deputy director of Health (Public Health) Dr Ummi Kalthom Shamsudin said the department was conducting an investigation into the alleged queue jumping for vaccine at the Dewan Bandaran Teluk Intan PPV.

-- BERNAMA