PUTRAJAYA is mulling automatic registration for Covid-19 jabs to increase vaccination coverage, said Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin. 

He said the Special Committee for Ensuring Access to Covid-19 Vaccine Supply has been instructed to review and simplify the registration process to enable as many people as possible to get immunised against the coronavirus. 

“I have taken note of the concerns that many have yet to receive their vaccination appointments. Hence, I have instructed the committee to ensure that those who have registered via all available channels are given their appointments as soon as possible,” he said in a special address in conjunction with the 100 days since the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme kicked off.

“I have also heard the grouses of those in the rural areas, villages and interiors especially senior citizens who are finding it hard to register and get vaccinated,” he added. 

On that note, Muhyiddin said he has ordered all ministries and the relevant agencies to deploy government assets to ensure groups in need are able to get their Covid-19 shots. 

Only 13 million people or 51% of the targeted population eligible for vaccination have signed up so far. 

Muhyiddin said the government may achieve its target of vaccinating 80% of the population by year-end as more supplies arrive and more vaccination centres are opened. However, this will only be possible with the cooperation of the people.

Muhyiddin said more than 300 Covid-19 vaccination centres will be opened in the near future.

He added that the government will continue to increase the number of mega vaccination centres in high-density areas such as the Klang Valley, Johor, Penang and Sarawak as more supplies arrive. 

A total of 1,000 private general practitioners will be enlisted to assist in the national vaccination drive by the end of June, to expedite the programme. 

Apart from that, the government will also launch vaccination trucks for those in the rural areas, senior citizens, the differently abled and the homeless. 

As of Thursday, nine states have activated mobile vaccination units while the Federal Territories Ministry is aiming to vaccinate 400,000 residents in Kuala Lumpur, especially in the People’s Housing Project areas and transit homes for the homeless.  

Muhyiddin also urged volunteers including youth and civil society groups to render their service in the vaccination programme. 

“With the increased capacity we hope, we can give more people vaccines, and expedite efforts to achieve our target,” he said. 

“The government is committed and will continue to improve to ensure the programme goes on in a smooth and orderly manner. I admit that there are still some weaknesses that has to be fixed and I give my commitment that the government will continue to improve the program from time to time,” he said. 

Malaysia is set to receive 16 million doses of vaccines over the course of the next two months. With this, it will be able to ramp up the daily doses administered to 150,000 and more. 

Currently, some 100,000 doses are being dispensed on a daily basis. 

A total of 90,277 doses of vaccines were administered yesterday, taking the total dispensed so far to 3.4 million.  

Out of the 3.4 million people vaccinated, 2.29 million have received their first dose while 1.12 million have completed their two-dose schedule. – June 5, 2021.