Close contacts, possibly exposed persons should not head to vaccination centres - Khairy

 

Prospective vaccine recipients with the status of person under investigation (PUI), person under surveillance (PUS), or close contacts of Covid-19 patients are not allowed to turn up at vaccination centres (PPVs).

National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme coordinating minister Khairy Jamaluddin said so far they found several individuals with such status present at PPVs when they should have been at home under quarantine.

He said vaccination for individuals with such status will be rescheduled because they are at risk of infecting others.

“We check the MySejahtera system where we can check risk status in MySejahtera, and it is always updated. If you are classified as ‘close contact’ do not come (to the PPV),” he said when met during his visit to the PPV for the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine at the World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur (WTCKL), today.

Apart from that, he said those who did not have an appointment in the MySejahtera app should also not go to PPVs to try their luck in getting the vaccine, as it could cause congestion and compromise physical distancing.

At the same time, Khairy also advised those with a vaccination appointment to be present at the appointed time about 15 to 30 minutes early to avoid crowding the place.

Asked about the complaints of some married couples who had vaccination appointments on different dates, whether they could be adjusted to be on the same day, Khairy said that it all depended on the capacity of the PPVs.

He said that if the staff at the PPV found that many were not present on that day, they would probably administer the vaccine to the couple who was present that day.

“But if on a certain day the PPV is very full, they (healthcare workers) may say they cannot give it to you. So, we give the PPVs some discretion. I cannot handle it all at the central level, that's ridiculous.

“There is a discretionary policy for the PPVs but please, that doesn’t mean you can just walk in. Only on the day when you are there to accompany your husband or wife. It is not for you to go and rush to the PPVs,” said Khairy, who is also the science, technology, and innovation minister.

Meanwhile, he said more opt-in registration for AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccines will be opened for residents in the Klang Valley and several other states, and an announcement on the matter would be made next week.

On May 2, the government opened opt-in booking for the AstraZeneca vaccines for individuals aged 18 and above, and the vaccination exercise began on May 5.

- Bernama