Everyone Even Foreigners Will Get The Vaccine Says Khairy

---

 
Health minister Khairy Jamaluddin at the Pulau Larapan vaccination centre in Semporna today. (Bernama pic)KOTA KINABALU: Health minister Khairy Jamaluddin has given an assurance that the government will provide Covid-19 vaccines to everyone in the country, regardless of their documentation status.
Speaking during his visit to Pulau Larapan in Sabah’s east coast Semporna district today, he said he was also encouraged by the reception over the vaccination drive at the island, which also saw people without identity cards turning up to receive their shots.“I asked the people, just to see their documentation status, and some only had letters from the state government or the village chief validating their identities … They didn’t have the blue IC,” he told reporters.
“I have spoken to health ministry officials and those in other ministries that public health is most important now. We shouldn’t ask where they’re from or why they don’t have ICs.
“If they are residing in Malaysia, I hope they will come forward and get their vaccine shots at vaccination centres (PPVs) like the one here on Pulau Larapan … We will not reject anybody and will give vaccines to everyone.”
Khairy, on the second day of his visit to Sabah, said the awareness among the people, including in interior and rural areas, had improved, as exemplified during today’s exercise.
“I asked them how they got to know about the vaccination drive and they told me either their village chief or community leaders informed them or the word was spread in WhatsApp chat groups.
“And they also know what the vaccine is for. So the awareness is very good.
“That means our communication has gotten better because people feel they and their families are safer, and that they can restart their work again if they get the shots,” he said.
Khairy said the single-dose CanSino vaccine was also proving useful for the people in rural areas as well as healthcare workers in the field.
For instance, he said those who came to the PPV on the island today were not only Pulau Larapan residents but also those from surrounding islands.
“If we had used two-dose vaccines, it would be difficult for us to contact them and they might not be available for the second appointment.
“That’s why we hope we can get more CanSino consignments that are already booked,” he said, adding that the country would receive further supplies of the vaccine next week and towards the end of the month.
He said he had told Sabah chief minister Hajiji Noor that the state would again be given priority over this vaccine.
Khairy said 3,000 out of 16,000 doses of the single-dose vaccine meant for Semporna had been delivered, and 10,000 doses would be sent in one or two weeks. A total of 1,000 doses were utilised for the outreach today.
He said the Pulau Larapan PPV was among 130 outreach vaccination programmes planned for Sabah, which is targeting to fully vaccinate 60% of its adult population by the end of the month and 80% by the end of October.
To a question on the high daily infections in neighbouring Sarawak despite its high vaccination rate, Khairy said a check with the state government found that 99% of those infected were Category 1 (no symptoms) and 2 (mild symptoms) cases.
“Only four people were detected as Category 3, 4 and 5 (more serious illnesses) cases.
“This shows that while making the transition to the endemic phase of this virus, infections still do happen but the symptoms are not that severe anymore.
“This could be the reflection of what’s happening now in other places – the cases are still high but the symptoms are just light cough and fever. That is what we are studying,” he said, adding he would also visit Sarawak soon.
Meeting over schools reopening
Khairy also said he would meet with the education ministry over the reopening of schools, which has been postponed to Oct 3.
“We will meet this Thursday and any decision will be discussed by the National Security Council (MKN),” he said.
Last Friday, education minister Radzi Jidin said physical school sessions would be held from Oct 3.
However, he explained that the sessions would not involve states that are still in Phase 1 of the national recovery plan. The states are Kedah, Selangor, Johor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya. - FMT

---