Manufacturers welcome Pikas, suggest mobile vaccination units in industrial areas

The Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM) has welcomed the announcement of the Public-Private Partnership Covid-19 Industrial Immunisation Programme (Pikas) by the government, as over 1,200 companies nationwide have indicated their interest in participating in such a programme.

FMM president Soh Thian Lai said they had mobilised their network of branches nationwide since mid-May 2012 to get manufacturing companies to participate, and found over 1,200 companies with more than 180,000 employees keen on Pikas.

“This programme is timely for the manufacturing sector to be able to finally participate in it," he said in a statement today.

Recommending members to vaccinate their employees at Covid-19 vaccination centres (PPVs), he also called for the use of mobile vaccination units.

“These units can be set up at industrial areas where there is a high density of SMEs with a smaller number of employees.

“Or (they can be established) in rural areas where employees might have difficulty getting access to these vaccination centres,” Soh said.

Soh (above) added this can greatly assist SME employees in getting inoculated against Covid-19.

Last week, the government announced Phase 4 of the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (NIP) to vaccinate those working in critical economic sectors.

The programme will give employers the choice to select from two models - Model 1 will see employees vaccinated at PPVs, while Model 2 refers to on-site vaccination within factory premises or approved location.

Soh said FMM members, especially SMEs, should pick Model 1 as the cost has been fixed and the PPVs will start operating from June 28.

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