KUALA LUMPUR: Close to 150,000 more frontliners will be included in the first phase of the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (NIP).
Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said the decision to vaccinate more frontliners was made on March 10.
"Our earlier target for Phase 1 was to have 90 per cent of 500,175 frontliners to at least receive their first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine.
"Now it has been increased to 647,398 as of March 10. We hope the additional number of frontliners will receive their first dose in the next two weeks," said Khairy, who is the coordinating minister for the NIP today.
Khairy said so far, up to 129,110 people have received their full Covid-19 vaccination while 451,655 have received their first dose since the NIP started on Feb 26.
As of yesterday, 7,235,436 people have registered to get inoculated which is equivalent to 30 per cent of the targeted population aged 18 and above.
A total 530,158 Covid-19 vaccination appointments have been issued.
"The rise in numbers is good and encouraging and we hope to see more people coming forward to register in the NIP," said Khairy in a press conference.
Khairy said the top five states that have administered the most Covid-19 vaccines so far are Selangor (75,317), Perak (59,305), Sarawak (57,034), Sabah (52,223) and Kuala Lumpur (50,512).
The top five vaccine doses administered by districts were Kuala Lumpur (50,512), Petaling (23,573), Kinta (21,177), Kuantan (19,959) and Timur Laut (18,719).