KUCHING – Journalists in Sarawak will receive the Covid-19 vaccine under the first phase of the immunisation programme, according to the Federation of Sarawak Journalists Association (FSJA).
FSJA president Jacqueline David Impi said today journalists are also regarded as frontliners as they have to go down to the ground to file reports.
About 150 journalists are expected to get the jabs when the first phase of the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme begins in the state on February 27.
The nationwide programme is scheduled to roll out on February 26 after the first vaccine shipment arrives in Malaysia on Sunday. The programme, in three phases, will stretch for a year, up to February 2022.
“It is learnt that media practitioners are among the 40,000 frontliners who will be vaccinated under the first phase. We thank the state government for giving us priority,” Jacqueline said.
Sarawak Press Photographers Association (SPPA) president Mohd Radzi Bujang said the state government’s effort in tackling the pandemic to ensure the welfare of the people is greatly appreciated.
“Hopefully, the vaccination can help media practitioners protect themselves as well as the community from the coronavirus infection,” he said.
Yesterday, Sarawak Health Director Dr Chin Zin Hing had said that more than 40,000 frontliners in the state will be vaccinated under the first phase that runs through April.
It is estimated that 2.2 million people in Sarawak will be receive the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. – Bernama, February 16, 2021
