JOHOR BARU: Mobile vaccination centres under the Community Vaccine Mobilisation (Movak) programme will boost efforts to vaccinate some 500,000 traders nationwide.

       Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Zuraida Kamaruddin said that Movak was an initiative introduced by her ministry and the National Unity Ministry to expedite the process of vaccinating people, especially in rural communities.

       "We have discussed with the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry (Mosti) and received their approval to use Movak's logistics and support system to help vaccinate traders and small business owners.

       "There are almost 500,000 such businesses registered under local authorities nationwide with about 34,000 in Johor," she said, adding that the initiative would start on July 6.

       She said this after launching the Movak programme at a vaccination centre at Taman Adda Heights here on Saturday (June 26).

       "By using mobile vaccination centres, we hope to speed up the vaccination process for small businesses and allow them to continue earning a living.

       "We encourage businesses that are not registered with their respective local authorities to do so as soon as possible," she said.

       She noted that some 12 buses would be turned into mobile vaccination centres under the Movak programme to facilitate efforts to vaccinate the public, including traders.

       Also present was National Unity Minister Datuk Halimah Mohamed Sadique.