KUCHING, June 9: The public have been warned to ignore WhatsApp messages that purportedly request personal details for Covid-19 vaccination purposes.
Covid-19 One-Stop Centre (OSC) commander-in-chief Dr Cheong Yaw Liang emphasised that the Covid-19 vaccination centres throughout Sarawak will not use such platforms to inform the public about vaccination matters.
It was understood that a message about a standby list for AstraZeneca (AZ) vaccine had been circulating on WhatsApp inviting people to sign up by providing their personal details so that they can be contacted for the jabs in the event there are extra vaccine doses.
In the message, it said that some 100 to 200 people are required in the event they are extra vaccine doses if registered recipients fail to turn up for vaccinations.
At the same time, Dr Cheong also advised people without prior appointments not to walk into AstraZeneca (AZ) vaccination centres at Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) and National Youth Skills Institute (IKBN) in Miri as they will not be entertained.
Dr Cheong, who is also in charge of the AZ vaccination centre at BCCK, said that the AZ vaccination centres only accept those who have prior appointments given to them through the MySejahtera mobile application.
“The vaccination centres do not accept walk-ins and those who walk-in into the centres will not be entertained for vaccination.
“There is no need for people to come to the centre but to wait for their turns according to appointments that have been scheduled through MySejahtera,” he said in a statement today.
This advice came after certain individuals who did not have prior appointments visited the BCCK vaccination centre and wanted to get the Covid-19 vaccine jabs.
Meanwhile, the AZ vaccine opt-in programme at BCCK was launched last Monday (June 7) and the operation has been proceeding smoothly and in an orderly manner.
Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg who visited the centre on the launching day had emphasised that Sarawak aims to achieve 3,000 jabs daily for the programme through the designated vaccination centres.
As of yesterday, a total of 256,004 people in Sarawak have received their first vaccine dose while 124,820 people have received both doses with a total of 1.25 million people in Sarawak having registered for vaccinations. — DayakDaily
