No manipulation by SELangkah in AstraZeneca registration system, say Khairy, Selangor MB

Authorities say there was no system manipulation by SELangkah in the issue of AstraZeneca vaccine registration under the ImuniSel outreach campaign, as claimed by some parties.

National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme coordinating minister Khairy Jamaluddin and Selangor Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari, in a joint statement last night, said ImuniSel was an initiative by the Selangor government to register vaccines offline for those who have difficulty accessing digital registration.

According to the statement, individuals who register for the vaccine through ImuniSel give their consent to be registered for the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme. However, AstraZeneca vaccine slot bookings are made voluntarily or on an opt-in basis, upon the individual’s consent and understanding of the vaccine.

“Therefore, registration for the AstraZeneca vaccine requires a different consent compared with other vaccines which are offered under the mainstream national immunisation programme,” it said.

However, as registration for the AstraZeneca vaccine was made by ImuniSel without informing the recipients first, some who had previously received vaccination appointments under the national immunisation programme had had these replaced by a new appointment for the AstraZeneca vaccine.

“To overcome this issue, ImuniSel has agreed to hand over the name list of individuals who were registered the other day for them to be contacted by the CITF (Covid-19 Immunisation Task Force) to get their approval for the AstraZeneca vaccine.

“For individuals who were affected as a result of replacement appointments and who do not agree with the new appointment, they will be given back their original appointment dates,” the statement said.

Amirudin and Khairy said the CITF had also informed of several individuals who got their AstraZeneca vaccination appointments through registrations done by other parties, including their family members and employers.

“To solve this problem, an additional feature in the MySejahtera application will be developed in the near future to enable affected individuals, especially those who receive new appointments replacing their previous ones, to give feedback and get immediate solutions,” it said.

It said that earlier, Amirudin and Khairy had held a discussion at the Malaysia International Trade & Exhibition Centre vaccination centre (PPV) to find ways to resolve the issue and make plans to increase the daily vaccination rate in Selangor.

According to the statement, the Selangor government had said that it would implement the AstraZeneca registration for individuals who register under the campaign, while the CITF acknowledged and appreciated the efforts made by the Selangor government and other parties to enable as many individuals in Malaysia, including in Selangor, to register under the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme.

On the plan to increase daily vaccinations in Selangor, the statement said both parties had agreed to open mega-scale PPVs at several locations in the state which would be opened in stages from the second week of June.

“Discussions have been conducted in a harmonious environment, and we have agreed to step up strategic cooperation between the Selangor government and CITF to enable the immunisation programme to proceed smoothly and orderly, thereby achieving the target of herd immunity,” the statement said.

The joint statement also said that the special adviser to the prime minister on public health Dr Jemilah Mahmood and SELangkah representatives were present for the discussions.