KUCHING: The process of administering Covid-19 vaccinations has to be systematic and according to criteria, said Local Government and Housing Minister Datuk Seri Dr Sim Kui Hian.
“We are waiting to hear from the Health Ministry (MoH) about the criteria – even in the United Kingdom, they have their criteria,” he said when met by reporters after officiating at the state-level International Anti-Corruption Day (Hara) 2020 at Wisma Bapa Malaysia here today.
“I had a discussion with the MoH secretary-general yesterday; at this point the vaccines are only government to government,” he said.
He noted that Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin had earlier announced Covid-19 vaccine access for 30 percent of the population, with Pfizer’s vaccine expected to be in Malaysia at the beginning of next year.
“At the moment, my understanding is that there are quite a number of companies that the Malaysian government has agreements with and I understand that some require booking payments,” he said.
Nevertheless, he said that even if Sarawak had Covid-19 vaccines, physical distancing and face masks would still be required.
“A vaccine just means you are less likely to get infected or if you do get infected, it is less severe. But you need 70 percent of the population to be vaccinated in order to achieve herd immunity.
“Otherwise, the community does not have enough protection and can still get infected,” he explained.
Dr Sim said the matter of vaccines would be left to medical experts for assessments to ensure their safety and effectiveness.
At the same time, he urged the public to stay put during the upcoming Christmas festive season in order to curb the spread of Covid-19, especially with regard to movements between Sarawak and other states.
He pointed out that during the Gawai and Hari Raya festivities earlier this year, people were urged to stay put as well and not return to their villages, hometowns and longhouses.
“The same goes for this Christmas season. Those in West Malaysia, please stay put in the meantime. For those who are here, we urge them not to go to red zones such as in West Malaysia,” he said.
He said most of Sarawak’s cases started as they were imported from infected zones outside the state, followed by spreading among family members and the community.
“We are so close to getting a vaccine and we do not want to lose any more lives,” he stressed.
Dr Sim noted that the nation had recorded over 75,000 positive Covid-19 cases with about 34,000 in the last month alone.
