KOTA KINABALU, Oct 20 — Sabah today began administering COVID-19 vaccine booster doses under the National COVID-19 Immunisation Programme (PICK), which will cover frontliners, senior citizens and the high-risk group.
Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Hajiji Noor said the programme would be carried out in two stages, with the first stage for about 60,000 healthcare and non-healthcare frontliners running until Nov 20.
He said the second stage, involving senior citizens aged 60 and above as well as those with comorbidities, would begin on Nov 2.
The boosters shots would be dispensed voluntarily to those who had completed their vaccination or second dose at least six months ago, he added.
“Although receiving the booster dose is a choice for individuals, it is highly recommended that they take it to get optimum protection from COVID-19,” he said at the launch of Sabah’s COVID-19 vaccine booster dose programme at the Sabah International Convention Centre here today.
To mark the launch, Hajiji led the state cabinet ministers in receiving their booster shots.
Hajiji said booster shots would be administered at selected government and private facilities under the supervision of ProtectHealth Corporation Sdn Bhd.
He said eligible individuals would be notified through the MySejahtera application while vaccine administration centres (PPVs) would be making announcements via short messaging service (SMS) or phone calls for those without the application.
Meanwhile, Sabah Health Department director Datuk Rose Nani Mudin said there are enough PPVs in the state to run the booster dose programme.
“Only 41 of the 214 PPVs in Sabah have been closed. Some integrated PPVs are still operating, apart from PPVs at hospitals and clinics, and those eligible can go to these places,” she said when met by reporters.
