Laos, Malaysia step up COVID-19 vaccination efforts

Hanoi (VNA) – Laos and Malaysia are working on their COVID-19 vaccination efforts in a bid to curb the spread of the pandemic.

The Lao Ministry of Health on June 12 said there were 712,793 locals or 9.7 percent of the population getting the first shot of COVID-19 vaccines and 385,921 or 5.26 percent fully vaccinated with two shots.

On June 13, the country logged six new infections in three localities, consisting of five domestic and one imported cases.

To date, the national tally has hit 1,996 cases, with 1,862 recoveries and three deaths.

Meanwhile, in Malaysia, the government has introduced an initiative dubbed the Public-Private Partnership Industrial COVID-19 Immunisation Programme (PIKAS) to cater for the manufacturing sector.

According to the Malaysian Ministry of International Trade and Industry (Miti), as “Phase Four” of the National COVID-19 Immunisation Programme (NIP), PIKAS will begin on June 16 with on-site vaccination at designated factories and industrial locations.

In a related movement, a call centre has been set up to contact individuals who did not show up for their vaccination appointment. Housing and Local Government Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin said the initiative began on June 12 at the vaccination centre in Kampung Ampang Indah Community Hall, Ampang, where seven telephone operators had been trained for the purpose.

The pilot project involved 177 individuals in three categories: those who have received appointment dates in the MySejahtera app but did not provide feedback, those absent for their second dose, and individuals who failed to show up for their first jab./.