They will now be included in the Vaccine Supply Access Guarantee Special Committee’s (JKJAV) category 2 definition of frontliners, allowing them to receive their jabs during the first phase of vaccinations.

“This is a follow-up to an application by the Malaysian Pharmacists Society and Malaysian Community Pharmacy Guild,” said health minister Dr Adham Baba after a JKJAV meeting today.

“This will benefit almost 4,000 community pharmacists in Malaysia who will be given the vaccine in the first phase,” he added in a statement.

Under JKJAV’s guidelines issued earlier this month, frontliners are divided into two categories.

Category 1 comprises those directly involved in providing medical treatment to patients and make up healthcare workers from the health ministry, defence ministry as well as teaching and private hospitals.

Frontliners from the healthcare, defence, security and essential services sectors are included in Category 2.

For the healthcare sector, Category 2 frontiners already include general practitioners, dentists and staff from private laboratories.

Under the country’s National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme, the first phase of vaccinations from February to April is for the 500,000 frontliners who are directly involved in the fight against Covid-19.

The second phase from April to August will target the high-risk group while the third phase from May to February 2022 will involve those aged 18 and above.