AgeCOpe appeals for more time for care homes to pre-register for vaccine

PETALING JAYA: The Association for Residential Aged Care Operators of Malaysia (AgeCOpe) has appealed to the Covid-19 Vaccine Supply Access Guarantee Special Committee to allow more time for both licensed and unlicensed care homes to pre-register for the vaccine.

Its president Delren Terrence Douglas also appealed for them to provide an on-site vaccine administration plan as well as to allocate at least 30,000 doses for aged care home staff and residents under phase one of the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme.

“As operators of aged care centres, old folks’ home and nursing homes, we believe Covid-19 vaccination is one of our most important tools in battling the pandemic, apart from regular testing as well as effective infection prevention and control measures, ” he said in a statement on Thursday (Feb 25).

The deadline for the pre-registration is on Feb 28.

Douglas also urged all stakeholders to work together to ensure frontline staff and at-risk residents get their Covid-19 vaccine shots as soon as possible.

He pointed out that as of Feb 19,68.3% of all 1,043 Covid-19 deaths in Malaysia were among those aged 60 years or over and that the mortality rate for the older age group was 13.8%, or over 10 times higher than the national average (1.2%).

“Patients with multiple co-morbidities too are more likely to succumb to the virus, ” he said.

Douglas added that they were looking forward to working with the Health Ministry, the Social Welfare Department, the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation as well as all related federal, state and local government agencies, departments and task forces to ensure its premises are safe and compliant with the industry’s standard operating procedures (SOPs).

“We also commend the government’s plan to have a compensation scheme in place for those who may experience adverse side effects from the Covid-19 vaccination, ” he said.