PETALING JAYA: Frontliners in the transportation sector can expect to get their vaccines starting next week, says Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong (pic).
The Transport Minister said about 107,000 people have been identified as frontliners in the sector, including sailors, pilots, air traffic controllers, flight attendants, warehouse workers and maritime pilots and Prasarana staff members in the rail and bus lines.
“The vaccination programme will be done in stages and subject to the supply of vaccines,” he said on Facebook on Thursday (June 17).
He added that the programme will be carried out at airports, ports and Prasaran depots that will be converted into vaccination centres through a public-private partnership.
Dr Wee said the vaccination programme for workers in the transportation sector came up in a virtual meeting with National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme coordinating minister Khairy Jamaluddin.
The meeting was also attended by Transport Ministry secretary-general Datuk Isham Ishak and Science, Technology and Innovation (Mosti) secretary-general Datin Paduka Dr Siti Hamisah Tapsir.
Dr Wee estimated that there are about 250,000 workers who are directly involved in the air, land and sea transport sectors.
“On average, about 14% of them who have been vaccinated through the immunisation programme are taxi and e-hailing drivers,” he said.
Dr Wee also agreed for the vaccination programme to continue in a decentralised manner to allow drivers to receive their vaccination in their own communities.
He added that the Transport Ministry is also prepared to hand over a list of valid and active drivers so that no one is left behind in the vaccination programme.
Dr Wee said the Special Committee for Ensuring Access to Covid-19 Vaccine Supply (JKJAV) recently announced an increased supply of vaccines and he is certain that Khairy will help the ministry meet vaccination targets.
“We are ready to carry out the vaccination programme for frontliners in the transportation sector. Thank you to Mosti, the Health Ministry and the Covid-19 Immunisation Task Force,” he said.
