Vaccine: KPWKM sets up registration counters to assist senior citizens

"We can help them to register and thereby increasing the number of registrations for the national immunisation programme," Minister Datuk Seri Rina Harun told reporters after officiating the ministry's NGO Convention here, today.

Elaborating, Rina said besides requiring assistance, the wait-and-see attitude and apprehension were among the contributing factors to the low number of registrations by the senior citizen group for the COVID-19 vaccination.

"We have to create awareness among them that the immunisation programme is for the wellbeing of the people," she said.

Meanwhile, Rina said the name list of senior citizens at the Social Welfare Department who have agreed to receive the vaccination would be submitted to the Health Ministry.

She added that currently, there were 47,000 people at 143 Senior Citizen Activity Centres nationwide who would be registered for the vaccination in stages.

Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba has announced today that the second phase of the National COVID-19 Immunisation Programme would kick off on April 17, two days earlier than the original date of April 19.

The second phase, from April to August, will cover people from the high-risk groups including senior citizens aged 60 and above and those with morbidity problems, such as heart disease, obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure, as well as persons with disabilities.

Vaccine recipients will be notified of vaccination appointment from April 5, two weeks prior to the appointment date, through the MySejahtera application, phone calls and short messaging system (SMS).

On today's convention involving 300 participants, Rina said NGOs should be the helping hands for the government by sharing information on matters arising at the grassroots level.

"NGOs are the eyes and ears of the ministry and we hope that they will act as delivering agents to disseminate information on the government's initiatives to the people," she said.