Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin today encouraged the public to take the Covid-19 vaccine, especially since it was free and would help rejuvenate the economy.
He also touted other advantages of being vaccinated, such as the return of international travel.
For example, he said countries may require arrivals to be vaccinated but did not state if Malaysia will be issuing or requiring vaccine passports.
"In the long term, it will be advantageous to be vaccinated.
"I wouldn't want to say (for sure), but in the future, for example, in terms of travelling - when countries have come to a stage where most people have been vaccinated, then there could possibly be a need for a certain form of a passport if you were to travel to prove you have been vaccinated.
"Now if you are not vaccinated, of course, there could be constraints on the plan for you to move around. That will not be advantageous for you," he said during a press conference.
Muhyiddin also said premises might prioritise those who have been vaccinated, but similarly did not stipulate if Malaysia will be imposing such requirements.
"I wouldn't want to say about the local and domestic arrangement here but restaurants (and) premises, there could be some requirements by the parties concerned.
"To make sure only those who have been vaccinated are allowed to do certain business with the respective parties," he said.
The prime minister thus urged all to volunteer for the vaccine.
"We impress upon all Malaysians and non-Malaysians who are in Malaysia actually to get themselves vaccinated," he stressed.
The government is offering vaccines to both citizens and non-citizens for free.
The first phase of the National Covid-19 Vaccination Programme begins on Feb 26 with medical and non-medical frontliners.
Waste minimisation, indemnity plans
This morning’s press conference was conducted at the Prime Minister’s Office in Putrajaya with the media in separate rooms from the prime minister, Health Minister Dr Adham Baba and Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin.
Adham said the ministry will be using “low dead space syringes” to minimise vaccine wastage or spillage.
He added that the 600 ultra-cold storage facilities for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines will be equipped with electricity supply to ensure they were properly stored.
Khairy shared that the government also has a contingency plan in case people did turn up to be vaccinated after booking a slot.
“We will also have protocols in place at vaccination centres where excess doses have not been used because people have not shown up. We will be giving those doses to security personnel and people who are volunteering at the vaccination centres,” he said.
Asked about Putrajaya’s plan in case vaccinations resulted in adverse side effects, Khairy said the Health Ministry was coming up with one.
“Yesterday the prime minister chaired a special cabinet meeting and that issue was discussed.
“The cabinet agreed that the Health Ministry will prepare a special vaccine injury scheme which we will announce in due course,” he said.
Last month, Singapore announced the Vaccine Injury Financial Assistance Programme which provides financial assistance for those who develop serious side effects, are hospitalised or die after being vaccinated.
The programme includes S$10,000 one-time payout if an individual is hospitalised in a high dependency or intensive care unit post-vaccination.
It also includes S$225,000 one-time pay-out if an individual were to die or suffer permanent disabilities post-vaccination. - Mkini
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