By Christopher Lidom
KUCHING, Jan 7: Sarawak State Health Department (JKNS) is running logistics trials to ensure the safe reach of Pfizer vaccines to Sarawak interiors while keeping them at below 70 Degree Celsius.
As this is one of the storage requirements of the Pfizer vaccines, State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) advisor Datuk Seri Dr Sim Kui Hian said it is not easy to transport them as there are limited freezers available.
“It is not easy, because freezers with -70 Degree Celsius are mostly at research centres like in the SGH, Sibu and Miri research centres. Not all hospitals have such freezers.
“That is why there are trials of other vaccines to see whether there are other vaccines that do not need such requirements, like the Moderna vaccine,” he added.
By trials of other vaccines, he meant the clinical trials in Sarawak General Hospital (SGH) that is calling for 400 healthy volunteers.
He explained that the vaccine under trials in this project is not Pfizer, but a new vaccine from China.
Despite all the difficulties, Dr Sim assured that the state government is doing all it can to get each Sarawakian a safe vaccine, be it to the city or into the jungles.
“Whether you live in the city or in the jungle, you are still a Sarawakian. The Sarawak Health Department is already doing logistics trials to make sure the vaccines are kept at the right temperature all the way to the interiors.
“We want everyone especially those with high-risk (of infection) to get their share of the Covid-19 vaccine,” he said when addressing the press during the offer letter handover ceremony of low-cost houses at Kampung Bunga Rampai, Bau today.
Dr Sim, who is also Minister of Local Government and Housing, asserted if there is any Sarawakian who is left to pay for their own vaccines for not fulfilling certain criteria set by the federal government, the Sarawak government will have their backs.
“As soon as the Malaysian government gets the vaccines, Sarawak will want its share. And when the Malaysian government says not to pay for any Sarawakian who does not fulfill the criteria, Sarawak government will pay for whoever is left out,” he remarked.—DayakDaily
