By Karen Bong
KUCHING, May 7: Only 1,561 out of 302,243 eligible Sarawakians have received their second Covid-19 booster shot as of May 5.
The low uptake of the second booster shot, which was rolled out on April 22, especially for the elderly and high-risk individuals, is making Deputy Premier Dato Sri Dr Sim Kui Hian worried, considering the broad lifting of restrictions and Gawai Dayak is coming up.
However, he said there is no reason to be worried or doubt the safety and effectiveness of vaccines while condemning those who spread false information, whose irresponsible actions could derail Sarawak’s efforts in combating Covid-19.
“Don’t worry or doubt the effectiveness of vaccines due to fake news, incorrect information, and misleading claims spread around about the vaccine.
“Many ministers including myself have received our second booster shot. I feel absolutely fine and did not have any side effects from the second booster compared to the previous jabs,” he shared on a radio programme yesterday.
Dr Sim, who is also Minister of Public Health, Housing and Local Government, was referring to false information and claims circulating on social media alleging that expired Covid-19 vaccines are being given to people.
In the tail of Covid-19, he emphasised that getting the second booster shot to strengthen the immune system, especially for those categorised as high-risk, remains important, apart from continuing to take other appropriate precautions.
“Now that restrictions have been lifted as we transition to endemicity, people will gather and moreover, there are more festive celebrations coming up like Gawai Dayak.
“Vaccination has proven to be effective in preventing severity of symptoms. As we adapt to living with the virus, I think everybody must play their role for Sarawak to achieve a positive outcome,” he said.
While Sarawak’s new weekly Covid-19 cases remained low in recent weeks, Dr Sim said that it is still too early to say if there would be a surge in cases post-Raya as health authorities will continue to monitor the situation for the next two weeks.
“The information gathered from the Raya trend will enable us to take necessary steps for the Gawai celebration later on.
“People take care of themselves by doing self-tests and observing home quarantine when infected. I think that is the way to go.
“But please seek early treatment without letting mild symptoms persist, even for things like joint pain which could be symptoms of Covid-19,” he advised.
Covid-19 antiviral pills, he added, are available in public hospitals in Sarawak to treat patients, with 90 per cent effectiveness in preventing symptoms from worsening.
While he was glad to see many Sarawakians continuing to keep their face masks on in public places and following other safety measures, he urged those eligible to visit the nearest public or private clinics and hospitals for their second booster shot.
“Your health is your responsibility. The Omicron (wave) may be mild, but every week, we still lose Sarawakians to Covid-19,” he said. — DayakDaily
