KUCHING – Sarawak Deputy Premier Datuk Seri Dr Sim Kui Hian has encouraged eligible Sarawakians to get the second booster dose of the Covid-19 vaccine.
He has highlighted this in view of the increasing number of Covid-19 infections in the state over the past four weeks.
“What needs to be done now is for you to go and get your booster dose if you’re eligible because after six months, your antibody (level) drops.
“Getting a second booster dose is the minimum that you can do,” he told reporters after declaring open a new academic block at SJK Chung Hua Batu 35 in Serian yesterday.
Dr Sim, also the state’s public health, housing, and local government minister, said Sarawak was doing so well with the first and second doses to the extent that some people were fighting to get jabbed.
The same also went for the first booster dose, he observed, where about 80% of the 1.6 million eligible Sarawakians had received it.
“But we did so poorly with the second booster dose, where only 5%, or about 50,000 of 1.6 million eligible Sarawakians, have received their second booster dose.
“It’s very sad. Now, we can see the increase in Covid-19 cases in Sarawak throughout the last four months,” he said, adding that the second thing that Sarawakians should do upon finding themselves positive after having self-tested would be to go to any public or private clinic to get the oral antiviral treatment.
In this regard, he said the oral treatment Paxlovid, costing over RM1,000, would only be effective in the first three days.
“Don’t wait until day 3, when you have already gotten worse, and say the RM1000 is useless because you have to use it in the first three days.
“If tested positive for Covid-19, go to the clinic for assessment because not everybody is suitable for the antiviral treatment. Still, we encourage people to access it because it reduces the severity.
“If the severity is reduced, the chances of getting long-term Covid-19 would be much less,” he said. – Borneo Post Online, December 3, 2022
