KOTA KINABALU – In a bid to ensure everyone in Sabah is immunised against Covid-19, 195 centres will be opened statewide to administer vaccine injections against the virus.
Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor gave his assurance today that no Sabahan will be left out of getting the vaccine, including those in far-flung, backwater areas.
“We have readied 195 inoculation centres across Sabah, including in rural areas,” he said.
“No one will be missed out, although the vaccines will come (to Sabah) in phases. But once they arrive, the people will be immediately vaccinated.
“The vaccines will arrive until end of this year or until early next year,” he told reporters after the state-level launch of the Covid-19 National Immunisation Programme at the federal administrative complex’s auditorium here.
Hajiji is the first recipient of the vaccine in Sabah, followed by 60 frontliners, including top officials from the Sabah Health Department and police force.
Sabah took delivery of the first batch of the Pfizer-BioNTech consignment a week ago. The early batches comprising 104,110 doses will come in six deliveries until April 1.
Hajiji also stressed that there is nothing to fear about the shots, saying he felt nothing, except the sensation of being jabbed with a needle.
“There is nothing to fear about the jab. This vaccine will protect us from getting infected with Covid-19.
“There is no need to listen to the stories scaring people away from getting the immunisation,” he said.
Sabah has recorded 53,138 Covid-19 cases since the outbreak began early last year, with 51,615 recoveries recorded from March last year until yesterday.
The most significant spike was recorded in September, when the state election was held, and the numbers have continued to climb until the end of the second movement control order period today. – The Vibes, March 4, 2021