KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 298,306 manufacturing sector workers have received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine under the Public-Private Partnership COVID-19 Industry Immunisation Programme (PIKAS) as of today.

The Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI), in its social media posting today, said out of the total first dose vaccinated workers, 28,596 workers had gone on for the second dose of vaccination.

"The implementation of PIKAS has been ramped up with the opening of more common use vaccination centres (PPVs) in an effort to speed up the vaccinations for manufacturing sector workers," it said.

PIKAS aims to support the acceleration of vaccination for about two million workers in the manufacturing sector by end of the third quarter.

Under PIKAS, the government will provide free vaccines while the private sector will manage the administration of the PPVs, including engaging the services of private medical practitioners.

-- BERNAMA