PUTRAJAYA is reviewing calls to make media personnel and teachers among the first recipients of coronavirus shots, said Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin.

“We will take into consideration all requests for (vaccination priority for) certain groups in the community, including people who are in the media and of course teachers who in certain categories are defined as front-liners, and other groups of people in the community as well,” he said at a press conference after the launch of the national Covid-19 immunisation programme handbook.

“As far as I am concerned they can be given vaccination in the earlier phase when we start rolling out (the programme) because of their jobs.

“Their day-to-day duties involve meeting a lot of people and we believe they are at risk if they are not vaccinated… we will consider them for inclusion among the first recipients of the vaccine, he added.

The special committee on vaccine supply is looking into the matter, he said.

Veteran journalists recently urged the government to consider prioritising media employees to receive the vaccine due to the nature of their jobs.

The National Union of the Teaching Profession (NUTP) also called for its members to be prioritised for the shots.

Muhyiddin said MPs and assemblyman will be vaccinated in the first phase as their duties require them to work closely with the community.

The first phase of the programme, which is slated to run from February 26 to April, will involve front-liners

Meanwhile, Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin, who was present at the press conference, said 300,000 health workers will receive the vaccine first based on the risk assessment of their job.

In addition, 200,000 non-medical front-liners such as of security personnel, welfare workers and politicians will be inoculated in the first phase.

The national Covid-19 immunisation programme will begin on February 26, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin announced today.

Malaysia is set to receive the first batch of the Pfizer-BioNTech shots on February 21. – February 16, 2021.