PETALING JAYA: Apart from relying on the MySejahtera app to register for the Covid-19 vaccination, the media should also be roped in if the target of 80% is to be met, said health experts.
Independent public health expert Hanafiah Bashirun said with at least 80% of the population vaccinated between six and 12 months, the transmission chain of the virus can be broken.
Former deputy health minister Dr Lee Boon Chye echoed the view.
“The registration is a good start. However, there is a long way to go before we reach a target of 80% of the population, including foreign workers, which is estimated to be 27 million.
“Publicity (through the media) needs to be intensified and more needs to be done to dispel the fear of being vaccinated,” he told theSun yesterday.
Hanafiah said the media is the platform to disseminate facts about the vaccine.
“There is still widespread belief that you need to pay for it, when it is free.
“This misconception can be avoided by publicising it on the various media platforms. Awareness on facts of the vaccine need to be robust,” he added.
Malaysian Medical Association president Prof Datuk Dr Subramaniam Muniandy suggested that pop-ups be added into the MySejahtera app, which is widely used, to remind people to register.
“Employers should also get their staff to register as soon as possible as this would be the most important step to ensure their business operations are not affected by Covid-19.”
He added that there could be limited access to digital platforms in rural areas to facilitate registration.
State health departments will also need to work closely with village chiefs, orang asli leaders and the long house committee in East Malaysia to ensure they are not left out from being vaccinated.
Galen Centre for Health and Social Policy chief executive officer Azrul Mohd Khalib said there would be some hesitance from the public.
“To overcome this, we must resist the urge to use legal means but instead, the government should continue to give updates and answer questions in a transparent manner to build public confidence and support.
“Such hesitance could undermine the national effort.”
As of Wednesday, 637,000 individuals in Malaysia had registered for the Covid-19 vaccine through the MySejahtera application.
Health Ministry senior assistant director-general of the Disease Control Division Dr Mahesh Appannan said the MySejahtera application is the most effective medium through which to disseminate information on Covid-19, including the vaccination programme.
