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Teachers with comorbidities eligible for first phase jab

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Senior Minister (Infrastructure Cluster) and Work Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusuf (front centre) with State Federal secretary Shahabuddin Omar (front left), State Health deputy director Dr Rosmawati Ariffin (front right) and other federal agencies and department officials posing for a photograph at the Caring Malaysia Programme: Covid-19 Management at Dewan Santubong CIDB in Petra Jaya, Kuching. Photo: Mohd Alif Noni

KUCHING: The teachers who have comorbidities are eligible to receive vaccines for the first phase of National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme.

(The medical definition of comorbidities is when a person has more than one underlying health-related conditions present in them at once.)

Senior Minister of Works, Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusuf said the technical committee for the programme had already listed this group of teachers to be qualified for the first phase.

“This group of teachers are at risk for Covid-19 infection and they have comorbidities such as high blood pressure, diabetes and so on.

“Therefore, they are eligible to receive the vaccine in the first phase while the other teachers will be vaccinated in the second phase,” he said.

He said this when officiating at the Malaysia Prihatin: Management of Covid-19 Pandemic programme held at Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) Sarawak building here today.

Meanwhile, procurement of the vaccine is managed by the Covid-19 Vaccine Supplies Access Guarantee Special Committee, state Health Department deputy director Dr Rosmawati Ariffin explained.

It is jointly helmed by Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin and Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba.

“Initially, the Committee has decided that the frontliners are divided into two categories, medical workers and enforcement personnel, who will be vaccinated in the first phase of immunisation programme.

“Several days before the programme started, the Committee had decided to put teachers who have two or more comorbidities under the second category frontliners, which means this special group of teachers are also eligible for the vaccines in the first phase,” she elaborated.

In the context of Sarawak, she said some of the teachers who belonged to the group had already received their vaccines.

However, the data on the vaccinated teachers was not made public.

The second phase of the immunisation programme will involve Covid-19 high-risk groups, namely senior citizens, vulnerable individuals with comorbidities and disabled persons.

The third phase of the programme will involve adults aged 18 and above.

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