KUALA LUMPUR: Health experts have urged the government to re-strategise its vaccine rollout process to get more people vaccinated fast, including setting up mobile vaccination teams.
This comes on the heels of the country witnessing an alarming number of Covid-19 cases, consistently registering above the 6,000 mark for the past six days.
Former Malaysian Medical Association president Professor Datuk Dr N.K.S. Tharmaseelan said as Malaysia had an excellent health delivery system, the government could consider a "go-to-vaccinate" approach rather than a "come-to-be-vaccinated" one.
"I think the vaccination strategy has to change. Instead of waiting (for the public) to come for vaccinations, mobile health teams should go and give the shots.
"District hospitals, Pusat Kesihatan and government health clinics (Klinik Kesihatan) are spread far and wide to cater for all.
"They could be mobilised to act as vaccination centres, with enhanced delivery, such as drive-thru vaccinations," he told the New Straits Times yesterday.
Dr Tharmaseelan added that the many general practitioner (GP) clinics should also be allowed to partake in the vaccination process, and increase the number of people being vaccinated.
He added that it was important to shorten the waiting time for vaccinations, noting that many who turn up to be inoculated had to wait several hours before it was their turn.
A longer waiting period, he said, might discourage those wanting to be vaccinated.
Dr Tharmaseelan said it would be "more meaningful" to allow walk-ins for vaccination against Covid-19 in areas where defaulters were high.
"Since there are so many empty slots, catering to walk-ins should not pose a logistical problem.
"With 10,000 people not turning up, we should do away with appointments and give vaccinations to those who turn up.
"Temporarily, the extra vaccine vials should be redirected to centres where there is a long waiting list, but those who did not turn up for their appointments should still be vaccinated," he said in response to reports from Kota Baru, Kelantan, where nearly 10,000 people had failed to show up for their vaccination appointments.
He stressed that those who were no-shows must still be vaccinated to achieve herd immunity in the country, adding that the government must emphasise on the importance of vaccinations and its safety to the public.
Meanwhile, virologist Associate Professor Dr Chee Hui Yee said the authorities should approach heads of communities, such as ketua kampung, to arrange for transportation to vaccination centres, especially for the elderly.
"They can also start actively explaining the benefits of vaccination via broadcast by vans, and open up more vaccination centres in collaboration with non-governmental organisations."
She added that the volunteers or staff of vaccination centres should make calls to those with appointments several days before their inoculation date to reconfirm if they were attending.
This way, she said, the staff could also call up anyone on the waiting list to replace those who did not to turn up.
Chee added that the government could consider giving vaccines to those who wanted to be vaccinated, adding that the Special Committee on Covid-19 Vaccine Supply Access Guarantee's approach for AstraZeneca vaccines was a "very good move".