Various initiatives underway to speed up vaccination process in states

KUALA LUMPUR: Various initiatives have been implemented by state governments to speed up the vaccination process in their respective states to ensure everyone will receive their COVID-19 vaccination shots.

Initiatives are also being conducted by various institutions to help facilitate vaccinations to target groups.

In KELANTAN, the Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) medical campus in Kubang Kerian took the initiative to vaccinate almost 300 persons with disabilities (PwD) using the static method to make administering the shots easier for them.

The medical campus director Prof Dr Shaiful Bahari Ismail said through the method, they would be vaccinated while seated without having to move, and the entire process would take around 30 minutes (including the 15-minute observation period).

"Only medical personnel, including doctors and nurses, would move to vaccinate each person from one chair to another.

"For the first dose session, they need to enter the hall for the COVID-19 vaccine consultation, while for the second dose, they will be vaccinated using the drive-through method," he said at the COVID-19 Vaccination Outreach Programme at the USM medical campus special vaccination centre today.

In KEDAH, the opening of the mega vaccination centre at Amanjaya Sports Arena, which will begin operations tomorrow, is expected to speed up vaccinations to residents in Kuala Muda district, and hopefully lead to herd immunity by end of October.

Kuala Muda COVID-19 Immunisation Task Force (CITF) director cum Kuala Muda district officer Abdullah Hashim said the programme, with the assistance of ProtectHealth Corporation Sdn Bhd, involves two other health institutions, Murshida Medical Centre and Poliklinik An-Nisa, as Health Care Organiser (HCO).

"The mega centre will operate from 8.30 am till 8.30 pm and 5,000 doses will be administered daily in stages.

"The mega centre will not accept walk-ins, so vaccine recipients are advised to stick to their appointments to avoid crowding," he told a press conference.

Meanwhile, in PENANG, Seberang Perai Tengah Mobile Vaccination Outreach Programme secretariat, Mohd Fadhil Fahmi Zaini said awareness among the public especially the elderly, is positive, following a rise in their arrivals at the centre.

He said this development will help efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19 within the community.

"Therefore, proactive action from related agencies at the community level, such as providing information about the effectiveness of vaccination must be intensified," he said, adding that they will conduct house-to-house vaccinations for the elderly and bed-ridden PwDs.

Penang Infrastructure and Transport Committee chairman Zairil Khir Johari expressed his hopes in a statement today that the Construction Industry Vaccination (CIVac) programme could be expedited.

He said the North Region CIVac programme, that is scheduled to begin today at Sunway Carnival Convention Centre Seberang Jaya, had been postponed for a week.

Also, Zairil said the total vaccines given to 30,000 construction workers in Penang was inadequate and needed to be increased in the next phase as there were 47,950 construction workers in the state, according to the data from the Construction Industry Development Board.

In PERAK, the Community Vaccine Mobilisation (MOVAK) programme will be expanded to 18 parliamentary and state constituencies in the state to speed up vaccinations for the Orang Asli, PwD and elderly.

State Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs, National Integration and Civil Society Committee chairman Datuk Abdul Yunus Jamahri said the parliamentary constituencies include Parit Buntar, Bagan Serai, Parit, Kuala Kangsar, Kampar, Pasir Salak, Tanjong Malim, Beruas and Bagan Datuk while the state constituencies are Bota, Manong, Kuala Kurau, Selinsing, Kampar, Tualang Sekah, Kampung Gajah, Sungkai and Pantai Remis.

"The programme will target multiracial communities in urban, sub-urban and plantation areas who are registered with MySejahtera," he told a press conference after launching the MOVAK mobile bus at Sekolah Jenis Kebangsan (SJKC) Yu Chai, Kuala Kurau today.

-- BERNAMA