KUALA LUMPUR – Due to the public’s encouraging response to the AstraZeneca vaccine, the next batch of the vaccine will no longer be available on a voluntary opt-in basis, said Khairy Jamaluddin, the Coordinating Minister of the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme.
Previously, the decision to implement the voluntary or opt-in method was made after seeing the public’s hesitancy to accept the AstraZeneca vaccine due to reports linking the vaccine to cases of blood clots.
At a virtual media briefing yesterday, Khairy said the great response showed that there was no longer any hesitancy among the community for the vaccine.
As such, he added that the AstraZeneca vaccine — that is part of the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (PICK) together with the Pfizer and Sinovac vaccines — will no longer have the opt-in exercise like it did in the previous two rounds.
Khairy also said there will also be several options for the public to choose the vaccine they want as well as the venue and date to get it through MySejahtera which will be announced in the next couple of weeks.
The second round of opt-ins for the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccination was opened on May 26 to those over 18 years old living in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Penang, Johor and Sarawak.
The first dose of the second round dispensing of AstraZeneca vaccine will be conducted from June 7 to July 27, 2021.
The second round involves four current and four new vaccination centres (PPV), namely Universiti Malaya (UM) and World Trade Centre in Kuala Lumpur; Ideal Convention Centre, Shah Alam and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) in Selangor; Setia SPICE Arena (PISA) in Bayan Lepas, Penang; Persada Johor International Convention Center, Johor Bahru; Borneo Convention Center Kuching, Sarawak and the National Youth Skills Institute Miri, Sarawak.
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