More Than Half Of Malaysian Population To Be Fully Vaccinated By Merdeka Day Says Dr Noor Hisham

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By Merdeka Day, Malaysia will have more than half of its population fully vaccinated against Covid-19 under the National Immunisation Programme. -NSTP/ROHANIS SHUKRIKUALA LUMPUR: By Merdeka Day, Malaysia will have more than half of its population fully vaccinated against Covid-19 under the National Immunisation Programme.
Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said efforts to bolster the inoculation rate were currently underway to arrest new infections and reduce hospital admissions.
"When we focused on the Klang Valley (to boost vaccination) with Operation Surge Capacity, the daily cases reported (there) then was almost 70 per cent of the whole country.
"We started on July 17 and within four to five weeks, we saw huge improvements in reducing hospital admissions, especially in Category 3, 4 and 5 patients.
"To see a reduction in Intensive Care Unit (ICU) beds and patients who are ventilated, it may take another three to four weeks because that is the average duration of treatment for those treated in the ICU," he told the New Straits Times.
Dr Noor Hisham said efforts would be intensified to increase vaccination rates in other states, with plans to emulate the success of Operation Surge Capacity.
"This is ongoing and we hope to achieve more than 50 per cent vaccination rate of the adult population by Aug 31," he said today.
Dr Noor Hisham was asked to respond to concerns due to a spike in new Covid-19 infections in states such as Sarawak, Sabah, Kedah, Perak, Penang and Johor that ranged in the thousands in the recent days.
He reminded that people play a crucial role in protecting themselves and their communities from the virus.
"My advice is for the people to get vaccinated and ensure that they comply with all the Covid-19 Standard Operating Procedures (SOP)," said Dr Noor Hisham. - NST

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