MALAYSIA will receive more than 12 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines this month, making the next three months critical and challenging for the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (PICK), said Khairy Jamaluddin.

The PICK coordinating minister said with the arrival of such a big number of vaccines, the capacity for administering vaccines throughout the country would be ramped up accordingly beginning this month.

“For sure (beginning) July will be a critical period for PICK,” he said in a video recording today on developments on the national vaccination programme, which was launched in February.

To ensure that the challenges of the coming months could be handled in a smooth and organised manner, the nationwide vaccination capacity would be increased with the opening of more vaccination centres (PPVs) and the deployment of additional healthcare personnel and volunteers, he added.

So far 1,400 PPVs are in operation throughout the country. Apart from mega PPVs, many other types of vaccination centres have also been opened, such as those at Orang Asli settlements, places of worship, schools, universities, community halls, workplaces and plantation areas, apart from the house-to-house vaccination drive, he said.

He said 1,500 private clinics and 120 private hospitals would also serve as vaccination centres.

According to him, Malaysia’s daily vaccination rate was better than the world average per capita rate, as the country has consistently administered 250,000 doses a day recently and is targeting 300,000 doses a day this month.

He said that as at the end of May, the number of individuals who had received at least one dose of vaccine was 5.9% of the population and that the figure has risen to 18% now.

This means the number of first-dose recipients increased by 200% in June, said Khairy, who is also Science, Technology and Innovation Minister.

On the vaccination of senior citizens, he said 60% of them had received at least one dose and the 100% target was expected to be achieved by year-end.

He gave an assurance that service quality at PPVs would be improved and the MySejahtera application would be upgraded. – Bernama, July 3, 2021.