Over 450,000 people vaccinated against Covid-19 nationwide
KUALA LUMPUR: More than 450,000 people have received the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine under the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme.
In a tweet attached with an infographic, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba yesterday said up to Monday 452,919 people had been vaccinated — 422,058 had received the first dose and 30,861 received the second dose.
Selangor has the highest number of people who have received the first dose at 55,763, followed by Perak (49,053), Sabah (40,842), Kuala Lumpur (36,616), Sarawak (35,913), Pahang (33,257), Johor (30,868), Penang (29,568), Kedah (26,287), Kelantan (19,716), Terengganu (19,090), Negri Sembilan (17,884), Melaka (10,727), Perlis (9,526), Putrajaya (4,605) and Labuan (2,343).
Sarawak has the highest number of people who have received both doses at 9,537, followed by Pahang (3,677), Kuala Lumpur (2,722), Johor (2,609), Perak (2,363), Kedah (1,896), Kelantan (1,879), Sabah (1,167), Selangor (1,017), Labuan (911), Penang (721), Negeri Sembilan (530), Putrajaya (519), Perlis (504), Terengganu (442) and Melaka (367).
The NIP, launched on Feb 24, aims to provide free Covid-19 immunisation to everyone in the country, whether local or foreign.
In Kota Kinabalu, up to March 17, only 268,000 people in Sabah, or nine per cent of the state’s population, have registered for the NIP via the MySejahtera application, which is among the lowest in the country.
Last week, the Sinovac vaccine was added to the NIP, with Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin becoming the first recipient of the China-made jab to boost the public’s confidence in the vaccine.
Some of the Chinese community here hope to get inoculated with the Sinovac vaccine in the next phase of the vaccination programme in Sabah.
Api Api Chinese Kapitan Lim Vun Chan, 66, said he hoped to be vaccinated with the Sinovac vaccine as it was produced by Asians.
“It is more suitable for us and most of us here feel this way.”
Api Api community development leader Oliver Majaham, 44, urged the public to register for the NIP via MySejahtera.
“Regardless of the brand, Pfizer or Sinovac, all vaccines are proven by experts to be equally effective.
“The authorities would not have approved the vaccines without taking people’s safety into account.”
In Kota Baru, Kelantan Menteri Besar Datuk Ahmad Yakob received the second dose of vaccine yesterday, followed by Deputy Menteri Besar Datuk Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah, state executive councillors, government department heads and frontliners.
Ahmad called on people in the state to immediately register for vaccination as the rate was still low compared with other states.
“The state should be getting 1.2 million doses of vaccine, but the number of people who have registered is low. I urge people to register through the various methods available, either through the MySejahtera application or other ways,” he said after receiving his second vaccine shot at the Kota Darulnaim Complex.
To boost the registration rate, he said, the state government would instruct its officers to ensure that information reaches the people.
In Melaka, State Health and Anti-Drug Committee chairman Datuk Rahmad Mariman said the first phase of the NIP in the state was expected to be completed next week.
So far, 10,727 out of the state’s 12,870 frontliners have been vaccinated.
Yesterday, Melaka Chief Minister Datuk Seri Sulaiman Md Ali received the second dose of vaccine, followed by State Legislative Assembly Speaker Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusoh, State Secretary Datuk Seri Dr Hasim Hasan and state Health director Datuk Dr Ismail Ali.