KOTA KINABALU: A total of 67,808 Covid-19 vaccine doses have been dispensed in Sabah as of Apr 1 under the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme.
This was the 104,130 doses Sabah has received under Phase 1 of the immunisation programme.
However, the number of people registering to get the vaccine in the state is still quite low, said Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Haji Noor.
“Only 12.4 per cent or 362,514 people of the targeted 2.9 million in Sabah have registered as of April 4,” he said.
“Therefore, I urge all quarters to be committed and register for the vaccine,” he said at the engagement session with the Covid-19 Emergency Technical Management Committee at Magellan Sutera here Monday.
According to Hajiji, information programmes in collaboration with the Community Development Leader Unit to explain to the people on the vaccine benefits have been mobilised in every corner of the state.
“I was made to understand that some of the people are either afraid, unconvinced or do not fully comprehend (about the benefit of vaccination).
“There are also those who have fallen prey to fake news out there,” he said.
In order to support efforts to bolster herd immunity, Hajiji said these group of people must not be neglected but be given a clear and easy to understand explanation on the ongoing national Covid-19 vaccination drive.
He said they need to hear credible testimony based on the vaccine confidence narrative from the front liners and leaders.
At the same time, engagement activities on the vaccination programme particularly in the rural and sub-urban areas must be intensified.
He said correct information must be delivered directly to the people in rural areas where access to information through the new media platform might be lacking.
On another note, the Chief Minister gave the State Government’s assurance to support every policy and regulations that needed to be implemented by the Federal Government so long as its main objective was to protect the people.
“This will also further convince the people that the State and Federal governments will continue to uphold the trust given to it to protect and prospering the rakyat,” he said.
Meanwhile, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Parliament and Law) cum joint-chairman of the Covid-19 Technical Managament Committee Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan said Sabah was the ninth state in the commitee’s series of engagement visits to explain on the Covid-19 emergency.
Together with Takiyuddin was Chief Secretary Tan Sri Mohd Zuki Ali who is the committee joint-chairman as well as committee members including Health Director General Tan Sri Noor Hisham Abdullah, Datuk Siti Zainab Omar representing the Federal Attorney General and Public Service Director General Tan Sri Mohd Khairul Adib Abd Rahman.
On hand from Sabah were Local Government and Housing Minister cum Finance Minister I, Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun, State Secretary Datuk Seri Sr Safar Untong and State Attorney General Datuk Nor Asiah Mohd Yusof.
