By Karen Bong
KUCHING, Feb 17: Sarawak will be rolling out the first dose of Covid-19 vaccines with the first batch going out to frontliners especially medical workers at Stadium Perpaduan, Petra Jaya on Feb 27.
Preparations are well underway as the Sarawak government together with the Ministry of Health (MOH) through the State Health Department has mapped out the 56 vaccination centres as the State is expected to receive the first batch of the vaccine on Feb 22.
Minister for Local Government and Housing Datuk Seri Dr Sim Kui Hian, in a posting in his Telegram today, revealed that the phase one of the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme for Sarawak scheduled from Feb 27 until April 1 will involve some 97,000 frontliners including medical and healthcare staff, police, army, civil defence personnel and so on.
“Sarawak will work very closely with the Ministry of Health (MOH) Malaysia to ensure the smooth rollout of the vaccination programme,” he assured.
Chief Minister (Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg), he added, has also requested all foreign workers, both legal and illegal, in Sarawak to be vaccinated so as to protect all Sarawakians.
Malaysia will receive the Pfizer-Biontech Covid-19 vaccine this Sunday (Feb 21) or five days earlier than previously scheduled as the rollout of the country’s vaccination programme will start on Feb 26.
Dr Sim, who is also State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) advisor pointed out that Sarawak’s strategy was to leap from the current containment phase to the vaccination phase.
“(This effort is) to speed up and complete all three phases of the free vaccination for 2,019,413 Sarawakians by August 2021,” he said.
He disclosed that the second and third phases of the vaccination programme in Sarawak scheduled from the end of March until August will involve 929,000 individuals from the high-risk groups first while 992,000 healthy adults aged 18 years and above would receive theirs in the last.
Meanwhile, State health director Dr Chin Zin Hing had on Feb 15 revealed that Sarawak’s supply of the vaccine at present would be sufficient to cover about 40,000 of the estimated 97,000 frontliners in the State.
Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology Khairy Jamaluddin had yesterday (Feb 16) informed that the shipment of the vaccine on Feb 21 would consist of 312,390 doses which are enough to vaccinate 156,195 people.
He added that the Pfizer-Biontech vaccines would arrive via a MASKargo flight at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) on Sunday, after which they would be sorted and dispatched to the various specialised storage facilities across the country.
Those who wish to participate in the vaccination programme can register their interest via the MySejahtera app or www.vaksincovid.gov.my.- DayakDaily
