SEPANG, July 5 — The KLIA industry vaccination centre (PPVIN) opened its doors today specifically for frontline aviation workers at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA).
Operating from 8 am to 6 pm on Monday to Friday at the KLIA main terminal building, the spacious and comfortable KLIA PPVIN also provides a view of the different airlines’ aircraft types.
In sharing her experience at the KLIA PPVIN, Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) corporate communications manager Kellyn Ching Shu Ann, 41, said she feels more confident to work in the field now that she has received her first dose of the Sinovac vaccine.
“I feel so relieved to be vaccinated finally because I had registered since the COVID-19 National Immunisation Programme (PICK) started last February. Before this, I had tried to register for the AstraZeneca vaccine, but failed to get a slot,” she told Bernama here today.
A check by Bernama saw each recipient took about 45 minutes to complete the vaccination process at the PPVIN.
Ching hoped that when the programme is completed at KLIA PPVIN, the airline industry would be active again after the long period of travel restriction due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I hope after this passengers will feel more confident to travel. We (MAHB) do what we can to support the reopening of the national border,” she said.
Meanwhile, KLIA Aerotrain executive engineer Muhammad Amri Bahri Sunif, 29, said he was eager to get vaccinated fast because he feels it is his responsibility to protect his family members and colleagues from being infected.
“I have to work in the field since Movement Control Order 1.0 last year, so I am a high risk of being infected with COVID-19 and have the potential to infect those close to me,” he said.https://www.youtube.com/embed/7eLNdiaaKeQ?rel=0&showinfo=0
Transport Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong in a statement today said, the KLIA PPVIN was opened to facilitate and expedite vaccination for about 22,000 workers from the aviation and other related-industries at KLIA.
Under the programme, MAHB is working together with several airlines such as Malaysia Airlines Berhad, Malindo Air, ground handling provider AeroDarat, foreign airlines represented under the Airline Operators Committee (AOC) and cargo workers represented by the Airfreight Forwarders Association of Malaysia (AFAM) to get workers immunised.
In the statement, Wee added that for the land transport sector, PPVs will be opened in several locations nationwide to ensure that 19,259 rail workers and bus drivers will be vaccinated soon.
In addition, he said the Ministry of Transport (MOT) and the COVID-19 Immunisation Task Force (CITF) are in the midst of finalising the nationwide vaccination programme for 355,064 bus, taxi and e-hailing drivers including p-hailing workers.
“The programme to be implemented as public vaccinations will be borne fully by the government,” Wee said.
