ISKANDAR PUTERI: Some 779 teachers in Johor have declined to be vaccinated against Covid-19, Johor education, information, heritage and culture committee chairman Mazlan Bujang told the state assembly.

       He added that the Education Department would reach out to this group and try to change their views so that they would accept the vaccines.

       “The state government will call them individually and give them information and counselling so that they will understand how important it is, because schools will be reopening in phases in October," he said in a reply to Nor Hayati Bachok (PH-Maharani) during the state assembly meeting held at Bangunan Sultan Ismail in Kota Iskandar here on Sunday (Aug 22).

       Mazlan, who is the Puteri Wangsa assemblyman, added that based on Education Department data until Aug 19, 45,448 or 96.26% of 48,008 teachers in the state have received their first dose of vaccine, with 23,746 or 50.29% being fully vaccinated.

       Mazlan said the Education Department fully supported close cooperation between the state government and Health Department to make sure the vaccination programme would achieve 100% immunisation.

       He added that this cooperation not only involved educators and school staff but also parents and guardians of students.