After Sarawak, rep wants Penang allowed to procure Covid-19 vaccine

 

A DAP lawmaker has urged Putrajaya to allow Penang to procure its own Covid-19 vaccine after Sarawak did so when it purchased 500,000 doses of Sinovac recently. 

In a statement today, Pengkalan Kota state assemblyperson Daniel Gooi (above) stressed the importance for the state to procure its own vaccines as this would speed up vaccination in the state.

"It is known that the immunisation programme and vaccine supplies should be handled by the Special Committee on Covid-19 Vaccine Supply (JKJAV).

"As such, Sarawak's announcement on procurement of 500,000 doses Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine raised the question that if the state government can procure and purchase vaccines directly," he said.

In fact, Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow had raised in February for the state government to purchase one million doses of vaccines from the private sector, added Gooi.

"The state government intends to increase the vaccine supplies in order to achieve herd immunity in the state.

"As such, JKJAV should provide an answer to the question raised, in which Sarawak was allowed to obtain 500,000 doses vaccines, expected to arrive in one week," he said, stressing that the government should be transparent in the delivery of the vaccines, which is critical in combatting the surge Covid-19.

"The state government, if given authorisation to procure the vaccines respectively, can effectively control the outbreak."

For the record, Coordinating Minister of National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme Khairy Jamaluddin had last month said state governments of Selangor and Sarawak were free to secure their own supply of vaccines, provided the vaccines were approved for use in Malaysia.

Today, Sarawak Public Health and Housing Assistant Minister Dr Annuar Rapaee said the state will receive 500,000 doses of the Sinovac vaccine, procured by the state government, within a week.

He said an additional 500,000 doses of the same type of vaccine would also be received by Sarawak after that. - Mkini