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'Vaccine-first approach works'

The "vaccinate first, register later" approach will boost the nation's vaccination rate, say health experts.

They said this method would help those who were not tech-savvy, did not own smartphones or were without Internet access, such as the elderly, those living in rural areas and the homeless to get vaccinated.

Experts also said this approach could be implemented in parallel with the ongoing National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (NIP).

Professor Datuk Dr Awang Bulgiba Awang Mahmud, who is the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry's Covid-19 Epidemiological Analysis and Strategies Task Force chairman, said there were two ways to implement this approach.

"The first way is by actively seeking them out like what is being done in Kelantan, Sabah and Sarawak, where mobile teams are visiting people at home, elderly care homes, and the Orang Asli in remote villages.

"For example, those in care homes can be registered and vaccinated on the same day, thereby solving the logistical problems associated with bringing care home residents to vaccination centres," he told the New Sunday Times.

He said the second way was by setting up pop-up vaccination centres.

"Once the backlog of registrants have been vaccinated, pop-up vaccination centres can be set up at places of worship and community centres or where people are likely to congregate.

"Local community leaders and non-governmental organisations can then be used to spread the word to get people to go to these pop-up centres.

"Registration can be done on the spot and if people are eligible, they should get their vaccinations right after registering too.

"This can be done once we have finished vaccinating all those who are on the waiting list."

NIP Coordinating Minister Khairy Jamaluddin had said that the government expected to begin accepting walk-ins at vaccination centres in September.

He said priority would be given to those who had already registered either through the NIP website or the MySejahtera application, before vaccination would be opened up to walk-ins.

When asked if the "vaccinate first, register later" approach should be open to all, Dr Awang Bulgiba, who is an epidemiologist, said this method would need to be used to reach out to marginalised populations like the homeless, drug addicts and refugees in rural areas.

"These are groups that merit special consideration as recommended by the Independent Covid-19 Vaccination Advisory Committee.

"For remote rural areas as in Sabah and Sarawak, this is the only realistic approach, as going to urban centres to get vaccinated is difficult, expensive and time-consuming.

"As everyone will need to eventually be vaccinated, reaching out to those who need special attention will help boost the vaccination rate."

Former Malaysian Medical Association president Datuk Dr N.K.S. Tharmaseelan said the "vaccinate first, register later" approach would cut red tape.

Not all, he said, were familiar with the MySejahtera application, especially those in rural areas and in the advanced age group.

"Vaccinating an individual straightaway and registering after that, or concurrently, would not increase the workload.

"More will come forward. The hassle of getting vaccinated under the present arrangements deterred many from making the effort to to come forward."

He also suggested that general practitioners (GPs) be part of the approach. 

"There are more than 8,000 GPs in the country.

"If all of them were permitted to give out vaccinations, the vaccination target could be reached within months."

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