Anifah: Sabah should be given first priority in the delivery of Cansino

 

Former foreign minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman said the vaccine should be despatched according to schedule without interruption. -NSTP file pic

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah should be given the first priority in the delivery of the single-dose Cansino vaccine from China next week.

Former foreign minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman said the vaccine should be despatched according to schedule without interruption.

It is understood that about 400,000 vaccine doses will arrive in Malaysia on Aug 15 via AirAsia flights.

At the same time, Anifah said the supply volume of Pfizer, Sinovac and AstraZeneca should continue to be increased and not reduced.

Anifah, who is Parti Cinta Sabah (PCS) president, said Sabah has now gained momentum in the inoculation process with a daily rate exceeding 40,000 doses and can reach up to 60,000 doses a day if the supply received is sufficient.

"Thus, the supply of the single-dose vaccines is imperative for the Covid-19 National Immunisation Programme to be carried out smoothly in the rural areas," he said.

Presently, the rural population has to be given the two-dose vaccine, which means the medical officers have to return to the same location after two weeks, he said.

Anifah said this was a challenging task to the medical team as they had to deal with the terrain in the rural areas which did not have good road access.

With the single dose vaccine, he said, the medical officers only need to travel to the rural areas once.

Anifah added that with adequate supply of vaccines available, Sabah would be able to achieve the targeted herd immunity more quickly. - NST