KUALA LUMPUR: Queue-jumping in the Covid-19 National Immunisation Programme (NIP) is a betrayal of the frontliners who have been battling the pandemic for more than a year.
Recent claims by health practitioners that some people got vaccinated ahead of their group had prompted the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry (Mosti) to launch a probe into the matter through the newly-formed Covid-19 Immunisation Task Force (CITF).
Fines are being mulled against those found queue-jumping in the vaccination exercise.
Associate Professor Dr Malina Osman, an epidemiologist and biostatistician from Universiti Putra Malaysia, said frontliners were placed in the first phase of the NIP as they were the ones with a higher risk of getting infected with Covid-19 compared with the other groups.
"If frontliners are skipped (unable to be vaccinated adequately), it would expose them and other patients in the hospitals to the risk of infection.
"This situation is unfair to frontliners who have struggled since the pandemic emerged more than a year ago.
"Queue-jumpers could demotivate those who were given or promised an earlier date but were denied the vaccine."
She said those affected might feel uncomfortable and possibly would not turn up at the rescheduled date.
"Sources (frontliners) revealed that they felt betrayed (by such an act).
"Indirectly, acts of queue-jumpers might reduce the participation of those who deserve the vaccine and might affect the target of the NIP."
Dr Malina said while there was a provision for those who obstructed efforts to prevent the disease under the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988, there was still a need for a proper and detailed mechanism on how to execute it.
She suggested that the list of names who had registered be made available on a specific dedicated website linked to the MySejahtera app to ensure a transparent registration process.
"Perhaps the process can be similar to the registration for the general election — based on MyKad or passport numbers — so that we can easily track any 'abnormal' registration."
Environmental health expert Professor Dr Jamal Hisham Hashim said queue-jumping could cause delays in the NIP and jeopardise its rollout for the entire population.
"It might also disrupt the availability of a second vaccine dose for those who have already received the first dose.
"Both health and non-health frontliners must be vaccinated first due to the high-risk nature of their jobs.
"They risk getting infected and also transmitting it to others. If they are not well protected, those who work with them as well as the public might be affected.
"Vaccinating them first should be the top priority," said the Universiti Selangor visiting professor of environmental health, who is also a member of the Public Health Advocacy Alliance.
A Mosti spokesman said the ministry viewed the matter seriously and was working with the Health Ministry through CITF in investigating allegations .
Up to 11am on Wednesday, it had received 199 complaints and upon checks, almost 70 per cent of them had no proof, he said.
Claims about vaccination queue-jumpers continued on social media with the latest alleging drivers and maids of prominent figures had jumped queues for their doses.
MedTweetMY chairman Dr Khairul Hafidz Alkhair Khairul Amin had said the coalition of doctors and health workers had received complaints on queue- jumpers and forwarded them to Mosti for further action.