Target of 150,000 Covid-19 vaccine jabs daily to take off in June

The government is confident of achieving the target of 150,000 vaccine injections per day by June when a bigger supply of vaccines is received that month.

Science, Technology and Innovation Deputy Minister Ahmad Amzad Hashim said the aim of administering 80,000 injections daily was achieved by last week and with increasing supply of vaccines, more Vaccine Administration Centres (PPV) would be opened to raise the figure to 150,000 daily within one to two months,” he told the media.

Earlier today, Amzad who visited the Ideal Convention Centre Shah Alam in conjunction with the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine administration, said the government’s target of achieving herd immunity before December remained.

He said while 1,400 PPV were expected to be opened across the country, so far less than 30 percent of the PPV were operating due to the low supply of vaccines.

“We will reach the climax of the vaccination exercise when the whole supply of vaccines is received around June and July following which, we will open more PPV,” he added.

Meanwhile, Amzad said the government was considering the suggestion that the administration of the second dose of the vaccine be delayed to ensure that as many people as possible receive the first dose to achieve herd immunity as soon as possible.

“Whatever it is, we need to follow the recommendations of the vaccine manufacturers as it involves the issues of guarantee, effectiveness and so on while we’re also looking at the practices in other countries,” he said.

- Bernama