SANDAKAN, Sept 6 — About 27,000 doses of the CanSino COVID-19 vaccine will be administered to residents in Sandakan, not only on the islands but also in remote villages and oil palm estates.
District COVID-19 Immunisation Task Force (CITF) chairman Wong Foo Tin said the one-dose vaccine for residents in remote places in the district could speed up the vaccination rate to achieve at least 70 per cent herd immunity by the end of this month.
“This (CanSino jabs at remote areas) will make it easier for the health workers because it is difficult for them to return to these places to administer a second dose,” he told Bernama here today.
Wong, who is also Sandakan Municipal Council president, called on Sandakan folks – locals and foreigners, including undocumented persons, who have better access to vaccination centres (PPV), to grab the walk-in opportunity to receive free vaccination at any of the seven PPVs that had been set up in the district.
The PPVs are Dewan Masyarakat Sandakan, Hakka Hall, Tiong Hua Hall, Yu Yuan Hall, Libaran Hall, Gum-Gum Hall and Batu Sapi People’s Housing Project (PPR) Hall.
Wong said out of 363,100 residents over the age of 18 in Sandakan, about 190,000 have yet to register with the MySejahtera application, hence, had yet to get vaccinated.
He also dismissed rumours by certain quarters that have begun spreading, that the authorities would be out to arrest undocumented immigrants based on vaccination cards issued to them.
“Please be informed that all these wild accusations are baseless and have ill intentions to disrupt the vaccination process in Sandakan.
“We must remember that through this vaccination programme and with high vaccination percentage we will be assured of our safety and Sandakan will be infection free,” he stressed.
Meanwhile, Sandakan Health Officer Dr Johari Awang Besar said residents of Kampung Bahagia, a remote village in Batu Sapi, were the first to get the one-dose vaccine.
“The CanSino vaccine is more suitable to be administered to residents in the Batu Sapi area as there are several water villages, including island dwellers.
“We will also arrange for people at the oil palm estates to get this vaccine…we will assist as long as we still have ample supply,” he said.
