PORT KLANG: The National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme for industries will not affect or take anything away from the mainstream vaccination programme, says Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin.

       He said the mainstream programme was “picking up steam”, with 15.1% having received their first dose of the vaccine and 5.8% having completed both doses.

       Khairy, who is the coordinating minister for the programme, said the recently kickstarted vaccination exercise for industries was Phase 4 of the national vaccination programme.

       “We implemented it because of the risk of infection at workplaces, which has already been proven with several workplace-related infection clusters,’’ said Khairy during a press conference yesterday to launch the vaccination programme for the transportation sector.

       He added that the exercise was carried out for sectors that had continued to stay open and operational during the movement control orders.

       “There may be some who will ask ‘why are port workers getting vaccinated but not me even though I have registered since February?’

       “These people (port workers) have been working without stopping 24-hours a day, seven days a week,’’ he said.

       Khairy also assured that vaccines would be immediately sent to vaccination centres and states as soon as they arrive.

       “Tranquilo (Spanish for ‘calm’). Relax. The shipments are coming,” he said.

       “It is not like I’m sitting on any vaccines. As soon as we get (vaccine) lot release from the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA), we will continue to send the vaccines to states and vaccination centres.”

       Khairy explained that the utilisation rate of available vaccines now stands at 90%, meaning that if 100 vaccines arrive at a centre, 90 of them will be used.

       “The remaining 10 act as a buffer for appointments in the coming days,” he added.

       With vaccines used up so soon after arrival, Khairy said some vaccination centres were nervous as they did not have that many doses at hand.

       He added that the 90% utilisation rate was proof of the government’s efforts in ensuring that as many people as possible were receiving vaccinations on a daily basis.

       Meanwhile, Khairy announced that vaccination for the construction industry, which will be coordinated by the Works Ministry, will begin on July 1.

       “We will focus on construction sites and essential projects that are still operational during the MCO,’’ he added.

       Khairy said talks were being held with the Agriculture and Food Industry Ministry to begin vaccinations for farm and estate workers.