SHAH ALAM: Several additional groups will be included in phase two of the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme, which kicks off in April.
Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said the decision was made following the low number of vaccine registrations nationwide.
The additional groups, he added, would include frontliners in the economic sector.
"As the registration for targeted groups are still low, we made the decision to (vaccinate) other categories.
"However, I would like to stress that the elderly, high-risk groups, the disabled, and people with chronic illnesses are still being prioritised in the second phase.
"I will announce the agreed groups on Monday," he said after the Selangor Covid-19 Immunisation Task Force meeting here, today.
Also present was Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari.
Khairy, who is also the Coordinating Minister for the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme said more vaccination centres will be opened in phases two and three of the nationwide inoculation campaign.
He said several aspects detected in the first phase, could be further improved, adding that the government aimed to increase the vaccination rate in the next phase.
"We will open up additional vaccination centres to improve the vaccination rate, but it will depend on the shipment of vaccines from abroad.
"To increase the vaccination rate, we would need larger vaccination centres," he added.