.JPG "Khairy Jamaluddin (right) and Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong greet members of the public during a visit to the vaccination centre at the Port Klang Sport Clubu00e2u20acu2122s multipurpose hall June 25, 2021. u00e2u20acu201d Picture by Miera Zulyana")
KUALA LUMPUR, June 25 — Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin has announced that the government is now aiming to fast track Covid-19 vaccinations for those working in essential economic sectors such as the construction sector as well as the plantation and commodities industry.
The announcement by Khairy, who is also the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (NIP) coordinating minister, comes after an announcement by Transport Minister Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong today that more than 51,500 from the transportation industry have been considered “frontliners” and will be vaccinated starting today.
“The immunisation programme for another important sector for the economy will begin from July 1, that is the construction sector,” he said at the multipurpose hall of the Port Klang Authority's Sport Club today.
Khairy said the vaccination programme for those in the construction sector will focus on “essential projects”, and will be overseen by the Ministry of Works.
He added that the Covid-19 Immunisation Task Force (CITF) is currently drawing up plans to expand the vaccination efforts to those in “essential economic sectors that are open and operational” — and is already in talks with the Ministry of Plantation Industries and Commodities.
Khairy also said that the inoculation drive for essential economic sectors will not be taking vaccine supplies and other resources from the “mainstream” programme that is for the general public.
“In fact, we have sped up,” he said, in reference to vaccination rates under the NIP.
Yesterday, 268,604 people were vaccinated under the NIP, making it the third day in a row the programme has managed to surpass its goal to vaccinate 200,000 people per day by July.
Currently, according to CITF statistics, 15.1 per cent of the Malaysian population have received their first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine while 5.8 per cent have received their second dose.
Khairy has also stated in multiple instances that vaccination rates are highly dependent on vaccine supply, which are coming in from various manufacturers across the globe.
