PUTRAJAYA: The move to make vaccination compulsory among teachers will be scrutinised first, as it involves legal implications.
Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said further discussions on the matter would be held with the Education Ministry as soon as possible.
He said the current approach regarding the need for vaccinations among educators is still based on the concept of voluntary vaccinations.
"I need to discuss this with Education Ministry as there will be legal implications. As such, it needs to be refined with the minister (Datuk Dr Radzi Jidin) on whether we can make vaccination mandatory by 'sectorial mandate'," he told a press conference today.
On Aug 22, Johor Education, Information, Heritage, and Culture Committee chairman Mazlan Bujang said 779 teachers in the state had declined to be vaccinated against Covid-19, causing concerns ahead of schools reopening on Oct 3.
Yesterday, Sultan of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah expressed his disappointment when 450 teachers, from primary and secondary schools in the state, refused to get vaccinated.
On the issue of vaccine by mandate, Khairy said another sector that was also under the government's consideration is travel.
"Another example is aviation. Should the companies want to make vaccination compulsory, that's up to them."
