I have on 30 Jan issued a statement that the government should come out with a “National Anti-epidemic Strategy” with major policies for the four major tasks, namely, epidemic prevention, screening, quarantine, and vaccine administration; and it must be formulated based on epidemiology and scientific anti-epidemic measures.
I now wish to emphasize on a “National Vaccination Framework” based on three aspects, namely Risk Exposure, Criticality, Essential Economic Sectors, in order to achieve quickest and widest economy recovery and protection.
The Framework should be an effective strategy and based on:
1. Exposure to the risk of infection. Although anyone can become infected by the virus of Covid-19, MEDICAL front liners, including hospital cleaners, with a much higher risk profile and prioritised among various types government front liners.
2. Criticality should be considered among the same groups of peoples, so that the protection network can be built within the shortest timeframe. Examples, teachers who have comorbidities should be given priority when we are facing scarcity of resources and insufficient of stock. Based on this principle, a hospital board member should be assessed as less critical than a ward cleaner.
3. Essential sectors should be redefined based on the nation strategy of economy recovery. The five essential economic sectors defined by MITI, namely manufacturing, construction, services, trade and distribution, plantations and commodities, must be redefined when come to vaccination. We should make use of big data analysis for more accurate information in determining which economic activities are most effective and essential for Malaysia’s economy recovery.
Aviation sector and border and immigration personnel can be one of the most essential sectors in order to reopen international business traveling and attract foreign investment. Tourism and F&B which are at critical survival stage can be the most essential sector among the services in order to save hundred thousand of employment opportunity.
In order to gain public confidence in vaccination, and ensure the transparency and effectiveness of the vaccine distribution tiers, the Ministry of Health should:
1. Publish the list of vaccine recipients with the detailed breakdown of sectors, agencies and departments, so that to avoid the doubt of “cut queue by social media influencers” park under the list of a hospital
2. In view of the complexity of vaccine storage, a transparent standby list for unused vaccine supply at the end of the day is needed, in order to prevent waste, and to get as many people vaccinated as possible, as quickly as possible.
3. Provide detailed and official guidelines for those with chronic diseases which is now the more frequently asked questions among the elderly people
YB Chew Chong Sin
ADUN Mengkibol
