CITF orders 29 PPVs across Selangor to be closed
The Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry (Mosti) has instructed 29 vaccine administration centres (PPV) in Selangor to be shut down as a large proportion of the population has been fully vaccinated and vaccine demand is expected to slow down.
These closures will happen throughout the rest of August until the end of September across nine districts...
- UPDATED 5:30PM | Private PPVs and GPs were reportedly told to cease operations as well.
The Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry (Mosti) has instructed 29 vaccine administration centres (PPV) in Selangor to be shut down as a large proportion of the population has been fully vaccinated and vaccine demand is expected to slow down.
These closures will happen throughout the rest of August until the end of September across nine districts.
This comes as 73.8 percent of adults in the Klang Valley have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19 as of Aug 18.
CITF issued a letter to the Selangor government yesterday with a list of which PPVs to close and when. Malaysiakini sighted the letter and CITF confirmed its contents as genuine.
According to the list, some PPVs had already been closed before the letter was issued.
Of the 29 PPVs, 17 will be closed this coming Monday.
Resource optimisation
In a comment to Malaysiakini, CITF stressed that most Klang Valley adults had already been inoculated.
It added that most PPVs it wanted to be closed were “small in capacity”.
“CITF confirms that the letter is genuine but would also like to highlight the fact that we have vaccinated most of the people in the Klang Valley.
“Also, most of the PPVs that are closed are small in capacity and have served its purpose,” it said.
Despite CITF’s explanation, at least two facilities that it ordered to be closed were mega PPVs - the Mines International Exhibition and Convention Centre (15,000 capacity) and the Setia Alam Convention Centre (13,000 capacity).
The Movenpick Hotel and Convention Centre PPV was also large with a 5,000 capacity.
This was the explanation offered by CITF to the state government and other stakeholders.
The letter also offered an explanation for the move.
“The agreement to close PPVs [...] is to optimise resources in line with how the vaccination rate in Selangor has reached more than 90 percent and is expected to be completed in the near future,” it said in its letter.
It is unclear what the “more than 90 percent” figure refers to but 103.6 percent of adults in the Klang Valley have received their first vaccine dose.
This figure includes communities not captured in the latest census like undocumented people and non-residents.
Third highest
In a previous comment to Malaysiakini, the government task force had stressed that these closures were guided by vaccination rate data.
“CITF is also in the process of ensuring that no one living in Malaysia is left behind in the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme.
“To this end, CITF is looking at the importance of optimising existing resources as well as cost reductions while balancing the need to ensure there is no difficulty for those who have yet to get vaccinated to do so,” it had said.
The Klang Valley ranks third highest in terms of vaccination rate, after Labuan and Sarawak.
Most of the country lags far behind. Sabah, for example, has the lowest vaccination rate with just 25.8 percent of adults fully inoculated as of Aug 18.
Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah previously said more general practitioners (GPs) may be roped in to help administer Covid-19 jabs.
The latest CITF letter did not state whether more GPs would be mobilised.
Neither did it state where recipients would be redirected if these PPVs are closed.
Private PPVs also closed?
In a related development, health news website CodeBlue reported that private PPVs, private hospitals, ambulatory care centres and GPs were recently informed that they will no longer be used to administer jabs.
It cited an email from ProtectHealth Corporation Sdn Bhd to these entities.
The decision, attributed to the CITF, will apparently take effect from Aug 23.
ProtectHealth reportedly told stakeholders that this was because Operation Surge Capacity in the Klang Valley had already “achieved its objective of giving at least one dose of Covid-19 vaccine to all registered adults”.
“As communicated earlier, there might be a need for future vaccination as there will be new eligible vaccinees and potential additional booster dose. However, this is still under deliberation and once finalised vaccination operations will recommence and we will reach out for further details,” the Health Ministry GLC was also quoted as saying.
Malaysiakini had reached out to ProtectHealth, CITF and Mosti for confirmation and further explanation.
