Grab launches programme to increase vaccine access, education for stakeholders

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 4  -- Grab today launched a region-wide programme aimed at increasing vaccine access and education for all stakeholders on its platform as well as to encourage all passengers, drivers and delivery partners to get vaccinated. 

The e-hailing services company, in a statement today, said to support convenient access to the COVID-19 vaccine and encourage stakeholders get vaccinated, Grab is committed to subsidising the time, cost and effort of vaccines for driver and delivery partners.

“We also extending their medical leave protection fund to cover potential loss of income as a result of side effects from the COVID-19 vaccine for free and covering the cost of vaccinations for all employees and their immediate family members not covered by national vaccination schemes.

“To combat misinformation and boost public confidence in COVID-19 vaccines, Grab will work with Southeast Asian governments and health authorities to publish accurate vaccine and other public health information in Grab app,” said the statement.

According to the statement, Grab will launch a ‘COVID-19 Snap Survey’, a platform that allows governments to work with Grab to conduct lightning surveys on a wide sample pool to gather real-time data on vaccine sentiment. 

“Grab plans to work closely with local governments across the region to offer mobility, communications and logistics support for national vaccine deployment plans through its ground fleet network and widely used consumer app.

“Our goal is to reach fully vaccinated status for all Grab employees, driver and delivery partners by end of 2022,” its said.

Meanwhile, its Group Managing Director of Operations, Russell Cohen, said the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines is moving Southeast Asia into recovery mode and this will allow people and businesses to operate with more confidence in their own safety, driving renewed economic and community activity. 

“But there are many challenges to vaccine delivery, particularly in a region as widespread and diverse as ours.

 “We’ve worked closely with governments across Southeast Asia throughout the past year to address the pandemic challenges on multiple fronts and hope to play our part in making sure they have access to the right information and resources to get vaccinated,” he said.

— BERNAMA