No manipulation by Selangkah in AstraZeneca registration system

National COVID-19 Immunisation Programme Coordinating Minister, Khairy Jamaluddin, and Selangor Menteri Besar, Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari, in a joint statement last night, said that ImuniSel was an initiative by the Selangor government to register vaccines offline for those who have difficulty accessing digital registration.

According to the statement, individuals who register for the vaccine through ImuniSel have given their consent to be registered for the National COVID-19 Immunisation Programme. However, AstraZeneca vaccine slot bookings are made voluntarily or opt in basis, upon each individual's consent and understanding of the vaccine.

"Therefore, registration for the AstraZeneca vaccine requires a different consent compared with other vaccines which are offered under the mainstream national immunisation programme," it said.

However, as the registration for the AstraZeneca vaccine was made by ImuniSel without informing the recipients first, there are some individuals, who have previously received vaccination appointments under the national immunisation programme, having had these replaced by a new appointment for the AstraZeneca vaccine.

"To overcome this issue, ImuniSEL has agreed to hand over the name list of individuals who had been registered the other day for them to be contacted by the CITF (COVID-19 Immunisation Task Force) to get their approval for the AstraZeneca vaccine.

"For individuals who are affected as a result of the replacement appointment and do not agree with the new appointment, they will be given back their original appointment dates," the statement said.

Amirudin and Khairy said that the CITF also informed that there were several individuals who got their AstraZeneca vaccination appointments through registrations done by other parties, including their family members and employers.

"To solve this problem, an additional feature in the MySejahtera application will be developed in the near future, to enable affected individuals, especially those who receive new appointments replacing their previous ones, to give feedback and get immediate solutions," it said.

According to the statement, the Selangor government said that it would implement the AstraZeneca registration for individuals who registered under the campaign, and the CITF also acknowledged and appreciated the efforts made by the Selangor government and other parties to enable as many individuals in Malaysia, including in Selangor, to register under the National COVID-19 Immunisation Programme.

On a plan to increase the daily vaccinations in Selangor, the statement said that both parties agreed to open mega-scale PPVs at several locations in the state, that would be opened in stages beginning the second week of June.

"Discussions have been conducted in a harmonious environment, and we have agreed to step up strategic cooperation between the Selangor government and CITF to enable the immunisation programme to proceed smoothly and orderly, thereby achieving the target of herd immunity," the statement read.

The joint statement also said that the Special Advisor to the Prime Minister on public health Tan Sri Dr Jemilah Mahmood and Selangkah representatives were present for today's discussions.