By Sheeda Fathil
SHAH ALAM, June 9 — At least four million people in Selangor would have to receive the Covid-19 vaccine in order for its population to reach herd immunity, says state executive councillor for public health.
Dr Siti Mariah Mahmud said the figure cited is about 80 per cent of the 6.5 million population in the state.
“This does not include children aged 18 years below who are yet not eligible to receive the vaccine shot.
“Therefore, if we are able to reach the 80 per cent target, we would be able to protect the remaining 20 per cent that cannot be vaccinated and break the chain of infection,” she said on an online forum titled ‘Ask Anything: Which is the Best Vaccine’ broadcast live on Facebook last night.
Also present were Selangor Task Force Operation (STFO) director Dr Muhammad Farhan Rusli and Selangor Task Force for Covid-19 (STFC) committee member Dato’ Dr Khalid Ibrahim.
Meanwhile, Dr Siti Mariah said Selangor’s plans to purchase the Covid-19 vaccine for its people do not intend to cut the queue of the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (PICK).
She said purchasing the vaccine would speed up the process to have the people in Selangor inoculated and at the same time assist the Federal government in executing PICK.
On January 18, the state administration had approved a RM100 million allocation to make a purchase to procure the vaccine for its people.
