Health DG: Public COVID-19 vaccination registration to open March 1

PUTRAJAYA, Feb 16 -- The registration process for COVID-19 vaccination for the public will commence on March 1, said Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.

He said that the Ministry of Health (MOH) had identified several methods that the public could use to register, and it would also identify target groups to ensure they received the vaccination.

“There are five methods that we have identified for registration, including using the MySejahtera application, website or phone number,” he said at the press conference on the latest developments of COVID-19 here today.

Earlier, according to the National COVID-19 Immunisation Programme Handbook published by the COVID-19 Vaccine Supply Access Guarantee Special Committee (JKJAV) today, of the five registration methods identified, two of them are online registration via MySejahtera application or at a special website at www.vaksincovid.gov.my.

For manual registration, there are three methods that allow the public to register, namely, by calling the hotline (will be announced later), attending public and private health clinic facilities or through assistance programmes for residents in rural and remote areas.

Dr Noor Hisham also said that the MOH had been preparing for the COVID-19 vaccination programme since August last year, which also included the provision of infrastructure to ensure that the vaccine was received and stored safely.

He said that each vaccine approved for use was based on a study that had been conducted, where the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA) would look at the three-phase vaccine study data, covering effectiveness and safety.

He said that the MOH was of the view to only conduct the COVID-19 immunisation programme for individuals aged 18 and above, even though some countries provide vaccine to 16-year-olds.

“This is because from the age of 16 to 18, there is no solid evidence to show that the vaccine can be used. We adhere to the studies that have been conducted and look at effectiveness and also side effects,” he said.

He said that if there were side effects of vaccine use, the MOH would record and report it to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Asked about the vaccine manufacturing companies that has been registered with NPRA, Dr Noor Hisham said that the ministry had received dossier from Sinovac, Astrazeneca and Sputnik.

“NPRA is still conducting evaluations on the effectiveness and side effects of vaccines, especially phase three clinical studies.

“For the Sputnik vaccine, we have given feedback to the company, our questions, so that they can provide the answers for us to present them for approval,” he said, adding that conditional approval may be given to the company.

“If there are side effects or latest data, they can submit them back to the NPRA for evaluation,” he said.

-- BERNAMA