In Step 2 of the immunisation program, more will be included.

PETALING JAYA: The government is considering expanding Phase 2 of the National Covid-19 Immunization Program to include more communities.

This is due to a low number of registrations for Covid-19 vaccinations, according to science, technology, and innovation minister Khairy Jamaluddin.

He mentioned that the new groups will be revealed on Monday.

Frontline workers are involved in Phase 1, which is still underway, and senior citizens and others in disadvantaged communities will be included in Phase 2.

In Phase 2, the elderly and high-risk groups such as the disabled and patients with chronic illnesses will continue to be the key focus groups, according to Khairy.

The additional list will be released after the Covid-19 Vaccine Supply Access Guarantee Special Committee approves it, he said.

After meeting with members of the Covid-19 Immunisation Task Force Selangor, he spoke at a press conference.

According to Khairy, Selangor continues to have the highest vaccination and registration rates.

“Vaccine distribution in Phase 1 (in Selangor) is almost complete,” he said, adding that the state’s vaccination program’s Phases 2 and 3 should be completed by November.

He said that Selangor was given special consideration in the national immunisation program because it was an industrial state that contributed significantly to the country’s economy.

“There are also high Covid-19 infectivity rates at certain industrial areas, especially in factories with many workers. We would need the companies’ cooperation to carry out vaccinations at the factories or staff quarters.

“They would not need to go to the PPVs (vaccine distribution centres) and be around many people,” he said.

According to Khairy, discussions are also underway to increase vaccine enrollment through face-to-face initiatives involving non-governmental organizations and the general public.

Phase 1 of Selangor’s vaccination program, according to Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari, is 83 percent complete.

“There are about 4,000 first-dose recipients left,” he said.