PUTRAJAYA: All vaccination centres have been instructed to distribute excess supply of Covid-19 vaccines to areas which have yet to conclude the inoculation of frontliners under the first phase of the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (NIP).
Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said the matter arose following a complaint received from a whistleblower involving a vaccination centre, which had included people who did not belong to any groups and agencies listed as frontliners and eligible to be vaccinated in the first phase of the programme.
“According the answers that I had reviewed, the vaccination centre actually had completed vaccinating all frontliners from the health sector and listed groups who did not belong in the first phase using the remaining supply of the Covid-19 vaccine at their disposal.
“Based on the complaint lodged by the whistleblower and after conducting our investigation, we (the Covid-19 Vaccine Supplies Access Guarantee Special Committee) have cancelled all appointments involving people and groups who are not categorised as frontliners at the vaccination centre.
“We have also instructed the vaccination centre to distribute the excess supply of Covid-19 vaccines to other areas which have yet to complete the vaccination process for frontliners under the first phase of the programme,” he said.
Khairy was speaking at the weekly press conference on the implementation of the NIP that was conducted virtually today. Also present was Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba.
The whistlerblower of queue jumpers of the NIP has helped the government make the necessary adjustment and cost correction, Khairy remarked.
He added that until last Friday, the Covid-19 Vaccine Supplies Access Guarantee Special Committee received more than 200 complaints involving alleged NIP queue jumpers.
“I have protected the identity of all the whistleblowers. At the same time, we are investigating all of the complaints,” he said, adding there were also complaints received without evidence.- NST