Vaccination rate to be doubled
KOTA KINABALU: Efforts are being made to double the vaccination rate at all Vaccine Administration Centres (PPV) in Sabah, especially at PPV with high population, said State health director Dr Rose Nani Mudin.
As of July, she said Sabah had received more than 700,000 doses of vaccines.
“We are working on doubling the vaccine administration rate at all PPVs, particularly those with high population,” she said after paying a courtesy call on the Head of State, Tun Juhar Mahiruddin, here on Monday.
Dr Rose Nani said the drastic increase of Covid-19 cases in Sabah for the last two days was caused by the spread of the virus among prison inmates.
When there are Covid-19 cases in prison, she said the Ministry of Health (MOH) would widen its screening to all inmates, which resulted in drastic increase in the number of cases.
“We are aware that prisons are confined spaces where infections could spread easily.”
Nevertheless, Dr Rose Nani, who is an infectious disease control expert, said the rising cases could be immediately controlled by the control team and operations room that operate daily in every district.
On vaccinating prison inmates, she said the Health Department was currently expediting the administration of vaccine to the people in Sabah.
“Our goal is to vaccinate as many people as fast as we can.
“However, we are still waiting for the supply of vaccine as we need to give attention and priority to states with extremely high number of cases.”
On another note, Dr Rose Nani urged Muslims to comply with the standard operating procedures (SOPs) during Aidiladha today (July 20), including wearing face masks, maintaining physical distancing and washing hands regularly to protect themselves, their family and community against Covid-19.
Also present were Sabah Health Department deputy director (public health) Dr Asits Sanna, Sabah Health Department deputy director (medical) Dr Abd Kahar Abd Asis, Sabah Health Department deputy director (management) Jackson Taguah and Sabah Health Department deputy director (dentistry) Dr Zaiton Tahir.