Perak to follow vaccination schedule

Perak has already planned a schedule for frontliners to get their Covid-19 vaccination under the first phase of the state’s National Covid19 Immunisation Programme, says Datuk Saarani Mohamad.

The Mentri Besar assured that there were no issues with VIPs jumping queue.

All 39,760 frontliners, comprising 22,094 from the state Health Department and 17,666 from other relevant agencies, are expected to be vaccinated by April.

“We have a schedule and it has been decided earlier that only 10 state executive council members and myself will be taking the vaccine under the first phase.

“For today, apart from the exco members and myself, there are 210 frontliners taking the vaccine. I think it’s fair enough,” he told a press conference after getting his dose at the Indera Mulia Stadium here.

Saarani was asked about Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin’s tweet on Sunday that some states want all the exco members to be given the vaccine in one shot, which he said was “not good”.

This was in response to a Twitter user, Dr Rafidah Abdullah, who said she had received many messages on queue-jumping for the vaccine.

Under the first phase of the programme, elected representatives are included, which Khairy, who is also coordinating minister for the immunisation programme, said should take the vaccine in stages.

Saarani said what Khairy tweeted was not an instruction, and there were several views on the issue.

“Some say it is better to give the people first, then only the leaders, and we have suggested it but people commented and felt that they were akin to being test subjects for the leaders.

“Now we say we give it to leaders first to instil confidence and be an example to the people, and still there are grouses. Whatever we decide, it gives room for people to have different interpretations.

“The people should not worry and just follow what has been decided by the government. Of course, we only want the best for the people,” he said.

Meanwhile, Perak Health director Datuk Dr Ding Lay Ming said the state had received its first shipment of some 22,230 doses of vaccine, with the second batch arriving in the next few days.

“We want to finish (vaccinating) the 22,094 frontliners from the Health Department first before starting on the 17,666 frontliners from other agencies,” she said.

Perak is expected to get 79,560 doses of the vaccine for the first phase of the programme.