Herd Immunity Masih Tak Jadi. 70% Orang Sabah & 40% Orang Kelantan Belum Register. Gunakan Klinik Desa, Klinik Ibu, Klinik Kesihatan, Klinik Komuniti

 

The following suggestion has been made by reader Foo Lee Khean (thank you). My comments in blue.

Dear Sir, 

• your posting about reaching out to Msians who have not registered 
• govt recently allowed for walk in without registration 

herd-immunity threshold unlikely because 

• vaccine hesitancy,
• emergence of new variants

only way to outrun mutation is vaccinate as many as possible

todate, we have,

1.      6.1m or 19% of 32 million fully vaccinated, and

2.      12.8m or 40% waiting for 2nd vaccination.

• Upon 40% completing 2nd dose, only 59% of total population vaccinated
• when and how to get remaining 6.7 million or 21% of those not registered 

• focus communication  on groups most likely to respond positively 
• forget those completely opposed to vaccination 

table shows MySejahtera registration on state by state basis.

• registration in east coast and East Malaysia lower 
• limited knowledge or lack of communication 
• this group clustered geographically and culturally
• fail to understand vaccine plus mistrust in government
• govt must build trust with community
• govt’s one size fits all will not work for this group

use Klinik Kesihatan, Klinik Kesihatan Ibu dan Anak, Klinik Desa, Klinik Kommuniti 
available in almost every town, including east coast and East Malaysia
local communities trust these Klinik Klinik

My Comments: 

Thank you Foo. I hope the government listens to your suggestion. Indeed it could be an issue of local people in Kelantan, Sabah and elsewhere not trusting super duper  PPVs, especially PPVs manned by strangers not from their community or from their States or not known to them.

The idea to use Klinik Kesihatan, Klinik Kesihatan Ibu dan Anak, Klinik Desa, Klinik Kommuniti  is a good idea. 

I have already suggested this a few weeks back (ie to use the Klinik Kesihatan). The others like Klinik Desa, Klinik Ibu dan Anak are certainly feasible.

The local people will be less afraid to go to their local klinik desa, klinik ibu etc.

But I also have an outsyed the box suggestion. 

In Sabah, please talk to the churches. Get the churches to reach out to the christian community to come out in full force to get vaccinated. 

Then get the long houses and village heads (from the hinterlands to the Bajau Laut people) to talk to their people. 

Get the village heads, longhouse heads and other community elders and community heads vaccinated first. Then the people will not be afraid.

In Kelantan get the imam suraus to assist in the campaign.  Get them vaccinated first and let the people see. That will help build a lot of confidence. Get the PAS fellows to assist - get them vaccinated first.

Has that tok guru fellow been vaccinated yet? Get him vaccinated and publicise it. Then the people will follow.

I am just thinking out loud. Get the bomohs, dukuns and pawangs in the act as well.  Like it or not, agree or not but these fellows have a significant impact on the local communities. 

Once you get the local heroes in Kelantan, Sabah, elsewhere vaccinated then the other people will not feel so afraid.

Over and out.  

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.