By Adrian Lim
SIBU, Feb 28: Assistant Minister of Local Government and Housing Dr Annuar Rapa’ee will personally step up to assist in the vaccination exercise in Sibu if the need arises.
Dr Annuar who is a cardiologist said he is willing to volunteer himself to serve the community by playing a part in the vaccination programme.
He believed that the Covid-19 vaccine should be administered as soon as possible to as many people as possible, adding that it is the state government’s target or Key Performance Indicator (KPI) to achieve herd immunity soon.
Nonetheless, Dr Annuar who is also the Sibu Divisional Disaster Management Committee (DDMC) coordinator said the speed of the vaccination exercise also depends on Covid-19 vaccine supplies.
“If we have enough supplies (of Covid-19 vaccine), there’s no point that we wait until April.
“It is a continuation exercise from one phase to another.
“I will volunteer myself to help with injection (sic) to everyone and assist frontliners at the vaccination centre when the time comes,“ Dr Annuar said during a livestream on his Facebook page today.
Dr Annuar who has been vaccinated for Covid-19 said he just experienced mild side effects such as a minor headache for a while.
He stressed that the side effects were not a serious health risk.
Dr Annuar who is also the Assistant Minister for Education, Science and Technological Research acknowledged that he was not the first person to receive the Covid-19 vaccine from Pfizer-BioNTech in Sibu.
On the issue of politicians who jumped the queue to be vaccinated, Dr Annuar who is the Nangka assemblyman clarified that it is the Health Ministry which is responsible to arrange for the vaccination exercise and to determine who is supposed to be vaccinated first and the number of frontliners to be jabbed.
He explained that the Health Ministry is aware who is at greater risk and who is not.
Dr Annuar also explained that Covid-19 patients who have recovered may be vaccinated 90 days after being discharged from the hospital.
He added people with illnesses such as gout or cancer can also receive the Covid-19 vaccine.
On the effect of the Covid-19 vaccine, Dr Annuar explained that the Pfizer-BioNTech and the Moderna Covid-19 vaccines in the USA have reduced the country’s number of new daily cases, fatalities and hospitalisations due to coronavirus.
He added data from the United Kingdom which has begun its vaccination exercise also showed that new daily cases, deaths and hospitalisation due to Covid-19 have similarly declined. — DayakDaily
