KUALA LUMPUR: The government has agreed to include some 4,000 community pharmacists around the country to be vaccinated under the first phase of the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (NIP).
This follows the decision by the Covid-19 Vaccine Supplies Access Guarantee Special Committee yesterday, to include community pharmacists in Category 2 of the guidelines to determine the list of frontliners inoculated under the national vaccination programme.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba in a statement today said Category 2 refers to frontliners who are involved in the health sectors as well as defence agency, members of the security forces and essential services.
"The decision was made following a request by the Malaysian Pharmacists Society (MPS) and Malaysian Community Pharmacy Guild.
"This decision will benefit some 4,000 community pharmacists in Malaysia, where they will be vaccinated under the first phase (of the NIP)," he said.
It was previously reported that MPS had urged the authorities to seriously consider administering the Covid-19 vaccine to all community pharmacists since the group also played an important role in the prevention of the disease.
The MPS had said that community pharmacists are also at high risk of contracting Covid-19 and spreading to other people since the group facrs the public every day irrespective of healthy or ill individuals.
By getting community pharmacists vaccinated, MPS said it could also increase confidence among the public to seek professional consultation.