Selangor Journal
A DHL Express truck carrying the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine from Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) to Vaccine Storage Centre, on February 21, 2021. — Picture by BERNAMA

Proper preparations underway for vaccinations in states

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 24 — Many states have been busy making proper preparations for the first day of the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme today, including ensuring the storage facilities are all set to receive the vaccines.

Yesterday in Perak, Sultan Nazrin Shah himself visited the Indera Mulia Stadium in Ipoh, one of the vaccination centres in the state, ahead of the immunisation programme which would start on March 1.

Menteri Besar Datuk Saarani Mohamad said 60 per cent out of 34,743 listed frontliners in Perak have agreed to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine shots, while the rest disagreed on various reasons such as bad allergies, pregnant or recently got married and planned to have a child.

“The state executive councillors and I will be among the first to be inoculated besides the state secretary Datuk Ahmad Suaidi Abdul Rahim and state Health director Dr Ding Lay Ming,” he said.

It was reported that the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for the first phase of the National COVID-19 Immunisation Programme would be transported from the Vaccine Storage Centre (VSC) in Bayan Lepas, Penang to Perak today.

The vaccination centre at the Indera Mulia Stadium, which is divided into four stations with eight vaccinators each, is reported to be able to provide vaccination shots to 800 people per day.

In Melaka, Chief Minister Datuk Seri Sulaiman Md Ali said the transporting of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine from Kuala Lumpur to the VSC at the Melaka Hospital would be done via land route with high security control.

“We are prepared to receive the vaccine and the state secretary Datuk Seri Dr Hasim Hasan will lead the team at the Melaka Hospital,” he told reporters yesterday.

About 660,000 people in Melaka will receive the vaccine shots in three phases.

Additionally, a total of 22,753 Health Ministry’s frontliners in Penang would be inoculated in the first phase of the programme roll-out which is expected to start today.

State Health, Agriculture and Agro-based Industry and Rural Development Committee chairman Dr Norlela Ariffin said another 10,474 frontliners would also receive the vaccination in the first phase of the programme.

“In total, 33,227 frontliners in the state will be inoculated and for the MOH personnel, they will get their vaccine shots at the stipulated health clinics,” she said when contacted yesterday.

Meanwhile, Langkawi is expected to receive 1,278 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine this Thursday, said district officer Saiful Anwar Azmi.

The Langkawi District Covid-19 Committee chairman said the vaccine supply would be transported using the Roro ferry service from Kuala Perlis to the Tanjung Lembung Port here.

“The supply will be then taken to the integrated storage facility at the Air Hangat Health Clinic. The vaccination programme will start on Sunday (February 28) at the Langkawi Development Authority’s Sports Complex hall,” he said.

In Perlis, 8,000 frontliners is set to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine which is expected to arrive in the state today afternoon.

Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Azlan Man said the first phase of the immunisation programme in the state was scheduled to begin on March 1 until April, while the second phase would be held from April until August, involving 94,000 people.

“We have identified four vaccination centres for the first phase, namely the Kampung Gial Health Clinic, Beseri Health Clinic, Felda Health Clinic in Chuping and Tuanku Fauziah Hospital in Kangar.

“Another two vaccination centres were identified for the second phase, namely Dewan Wawasan 2020, Dewan Seri Melati and Dewan Warisan in Kangar,” he said, adding that about 100,000 people would be inoculated in the third phase of the programme.

Meanwhile, in Negeri Sembilan, Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun advised the people in the state to take the vaccine shots to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

He said he was also ready and have registered for the vaccination, and the vaccine supply would arrive in the state soon.

“However, we are prioritising the frontliners and I have yet to receive the total number of recipients,” he said.

— Bernama

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Editor Selangor Journal