THERE are some 2,400 healthcare workers under the Ministry of Health (MOH) who have not been vaccinated against Covid-19, CodeBlue reports, citing transcripts of a meeting of the parliamentary committee on health, science and innovation.

The health news website said Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin had told the committee of the number of unvaccinated healthcare workers in the ministry.

The number covers those who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons and those who simply refused the vaccines.

According to CodeBlue, the transcript of the committee meeting on September 28 also reported director-general of health Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah saying that the figure comprised ministry staff such as medical officers, nurses and medical assistants, among others.

Committee chairman Dr Kelvin Yii, the Bandar Kuching MP, had asked Noor Hisham which jobs the ministry’s unvaccinated staff were working in.

Khairy was also on record in the transcript proposing that government workers who are unvaccinated should undergo weekly Covid-19 tests.

Covid-19 vaccination is mandated for civil servants effective November 1, as announced in a circular by the Public Service Department last month.

Those who have no medical or legitimate grounds to reject vaccination are liable to disciplinary action or termination.

But the number of those refusing vaccination is said to be small as Malaysia currently, has a high vaccination rate of over 75% of the total population, and over 95% of the adult population.

The ministry projects that 80% of the entire population will be vaccinated by early February next year. – November 3, 2021.