KUCHING – The second phase of the Covid-19 vaccination programme in Sarawak is expected to commence next month, says Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Douglas Uggah Embas.
He said the second phase would be a massive and complex exercise as it would involve vaccinating some two million consenting and eligible Sarawakians.
“This (phase) will also include expatriates and both legal and illegal foreign workers, and it is going to be a problem if (they are) not vaccinated.
“We (Sarawak government) have told KL (federal government) about our plan and target to complete our vaccination programme by this August. Then again, our plan and target will depend on the supplies we get,” he said in a statement today.
He said the Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) has been holding discussions with the state Vaccination Advisory Group led by Universiti Malaysia Sarawak’s Faculty of Medical and Health Science expert, Prof Datuk Dr Andrew Kiyu, in planning the vaccination process.
Uggah, who is also SDMC chairman, said the advisory group will collaborate with other medical expert groups on details and information on the Covid-19 vaccine, as well as to explain the effectiveness of the vaccine.
He said Sarawak had already publicised its vaccination master plan a month earlier than other states to appeal to the public to undergo inoculation.
“Our residents’ and district offices have been campaigning actively for the vaccination and registering our people.
“So far, Sarawak’s success in vaccinating more than 13,000 frontliners has earned the praise of Coordinating Minister for the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme, Khairy Jamaluddin,” he added. – Bernama, March 11, 2021
