SEREMBAN, June 26 — About 1.99 million doses of vaccine are needed to inoculate workers in the manufacturing sector under the Public-Private Partnership Covid-19 Industry Immunisation Programme (Pikas) between July and September this year, said Senior Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali.

The International Trade and Industry Minister said 600,000 doses of vaccine would be required next month, 600,000 doses in August and 795,000 doses in September for the Pikas programme, which would be carried out at 49 designated industry vaccination centres (PPVs).

"This supply of vaccines is vital for a successful implementation of Pikas, and National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme Coordinator Minister Khairy Jamaluddin has given an assurance that Pikas would be allocated 600,000 doses in July. We expect to complete the whole exercise by the end of September to achieve the immunisation target in the manufacturing sector.

"Manufacturing is an important sector because it is part of the backbone of our economy, and we are at a stage where we need to accelerate economic recovery,” he told a press conference after visiting the industry PPV at d’Tempat Country Club in Bandar Seri Sendayan here today.

Mohamed Azmin said about 2.25 million workers in the manufacturing sector were targeted to be vaccinated under Pikas.

He said employers participating in the Pikas programme were required to ensure that their workers were given the full two doses for free even if they left the company before completing the vaccination.

He said the ministry was studying the need to have more industry PPVs and would be discussing the matter with the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry, Health Ministry and Covid-19 Immunisation Task Force. — Bernama