By Ling Hui
KUCHING, Feb 27: Teenagers aged 16-and 17-years old are to be considered for Covid-19 vaccination if herd immunity of 70 per cent in the state cannot be achieved.
State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) advisor Datuk Seri Dr Sim Kui Hian said medical experts would be the ones to do research and assessments on safety aspects for this group of the community.
He was responding to questions from the public on the government’s next step if an insufficient number of people steps forward for the vaccination.
“We are at an early stage (of the immunisation programme) now so we are unsure, but medical experts are to research and assess whether we can reduce the age limit to 16 years old rather than 18.
“If the 70 per cent (herd immunity) really could not be achieved, we will consider this,” he said during Kuching South City Council (MBKS) mayor Dato Wee Hong Seng’s Facebook live earlier today.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Local Government and Housing also disclosed that foreign workers would be among the 200,000 non-Sarawakians to receive free Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccines.
“In Sarawak, we counted about two million Sarawakians and another 200,000 individuals who are non-Sarawakians.
“And yes, foreign workers from China, India and so on will be among the 200,000,” said Dr Sim.—DayakDaily
