KOTA KINABALU – Covid-19 vaccines are not thrown away even if recipients do not turn up for their appointments, said the Sabah Health Department amid allegations of wastage.
State health director Datuk Dr Christina Rundi in a statement yesterday said the number of vaccines prepared each day is based on the number of recipients.
Vaccines are not dumped even if recipients do not arrive for their appointment, she added.
Rundi was responding to former state deputy chief minister Datuk Christina Liew’s call to probe claims of unused Covid-19 vaccine disposal.
“There are two types of vaccines used under the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme – the Cominarty vaccine produced by Pfizer-BioNTech and CoronaVac by Sinovac.
“The cold chain management of these vaccines need to be strict to ensure they are effective.
“They need to be kept at a specific temperature, and will be taken out from the coolbox only when administered.”
On Sabah being the lowest in terms of vaccination registration, Rundi said the inoculation exercise is being done in phases, and the current Phase 2 focuses on senior citizens above the age of 60.
Under Phase 1, the vaccine is given to frontliners, she added.
She said the reason for the long wait for early registrants is because they do not belong in the two groups, adding that the registration process is influenced by many factors.
For instance, she added, urban Putatan has the highest number of registration at 42.1%, while rural Kinabatangan has the lowest, 5.48%.
Liew yesterday urged the department to investigate claims that health officials have had to dispose of unused vaccines when people do not turn up for their appointments.
Previously, Sabah Community Development and People’s Well-being Minister Shahelmey Yahya said the presence of crowds at vaccination centres are due to people walking in to get the jab.
He said they are waiting for empty slots left by those who did not show up for their shots, adding that this practice is not encouraged to avoid overcrowding at the centres. – The Vibes, May 20, 2021
