KUCHING, May 29: Only 45,840 (30 percent) out of the 152,800 slots allocated for Sarawak under the opt-in AstraZeneca (AZ) vaccine were taken by applicants above 60-years-old.
National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (NIP) coordinating minister Khairy Jamaluddin disclosed that the total allocation was made by National Covid-19 Immunisation Task Force (CITF) in offering Sarawakians AZ vaccine on a voluntary first-come, first-served basis since May 23.
“The remaining 106,960 slots (70 percent) were taken by applicants below 60-years-old.
“In the adult Sarawak population, 84 percent are under 60, and 16 percent above 60,” Khairy said.
CITF in a statement on Thursday (May 27) said the opt-in AZ vaccine was snapped up within an hour with a total of 956,609 slots taken up by Malaysians aged 18 and above when they open it up under the third round on May 26.
This was in addition to the 275,208 slots that were booked by the elderly during the registration initiative from May 23 to 25, and 29,183 who were on the wait-list from a total of 1,261,000 slots.
The second round of AZ vaccine slots were opened to people aged 60 and above on May 23 from Sarawak, Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Penang and Johor.
The first round was launched in Klang Valley on May5.—DayakDaily
