By Nancy Nais
KUCHING, April 17: Sarawak is ready to roll out the second Covid-19 vaccine booster shot for some 306,000 senior citizens aged 60 and above with comorbidities.
Deputy Premier Datuk Seri Dr Sim Kui Hian said the second booster would be offered four to six months after their first booster dose.
“Sarawak has about 306,000 people who fall under the high-risk category. As this is a large number, I hope everyone is serious about it. We can administer 30,000 doses per day, and with the community’s corporation, we can finish it in 10 days,” he said after the launch of ‘Program Ziarah UKAS’ and distribution of bubur lambuk at Kampung Sinar Budi Baru today.
Dr Sim, who is also the Public Health, Housing and Local Government Minister, lamented how people no longer take booster shots or the Covid-19 vaccination seriously these days.
“The Omicron variant may be milder, but it has a high transmissible rate, leading to a high fatality rate. Because of this, we hope that the community will take vaccination seriously,” Dr Sim added.
However, he warned that it is for a specific target group.
“Medical practitioners will access recipients for eligibility as there are specific criteria to fulfil.
“We will not have dedicated vaccination centres like before. Instead, it will be a continuous process by our government health clinics, private clinics, and private hospitals,” he said.
On April 14, Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin announced that senior citizens with high-risk comorbidities are eligible to receive a second Covid-19 booster shot four to six months after their first booster dose.
Khairy said this ensures optimum protection levels in the elderly and high-risk individuals, as they are the most vulnerable. — DayakDaily
