KUCHING: The high level of commitment from nursery and kindergarten teachers in getting themselves inoculated resulted in a high vaccination rate among the community, said Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah.
“Currently, 98 percent of teachers from Early Childhood Education Institutions (IPAKK) have received their first dose while another 61 and 68 percent of kindergarten and nursery teachers have received their second dose, respectively.
“These teachers know that getting vaccinated is very important as they want to be safe, along with the children under their care,” said the Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development (KWKPK) minister.
She said this when met by reporters after the handing over of the Special Annual Grant (GTK) ceremony at Taska Pondok Ilmu No 2 today (Aug 6).
Commenting on the remaining number of teachers who have yet to be vaccinated, she said that they are either pregnant, have recently given birth or are breast-feeding.
“Nonetheless, I believe that full vaccination for these teachers will be completed by the end of this month,” she assured.
Fatimah further disclosed that the high vaccination rate among the teachers is due to their names being inserted in any available slots at vaccination centres (PPVs).
“We have requested the help of the State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) as well as divisional PPVs to give priority to the teachers in getting their vaccination.
“Hence, whenever vaccine recipients do not turn up, the relevant authorities will give us a call and we will directly send the list of names. We would then inform the teachers to go to the PPVs that has extra slots,” she explained.
She also noted that they obtained the names of teachers who have yet to receive their vaccinations through the relevant associations.
On another note, she added that currently the vaccination teams are doing their best to get everyone vaccinated.
“This process is a mobile reach out programme where the team will go to longhouses to ensure that everyone received their doses.
“There are a certain number of people in every village and longhouse who have not yet received their vaccine due to being bedridden or unable to turn up at the assigned PPVs,” she said.
At the same time, she also added that the KWKPK are determined to vaccinate all groups in the community, particularly people with disabilities (OKU) and the homeless so that no one is left behind.
