Free Covid-19 booster shots in stock at Selcare clinics

SELANGOR citizens who have not had their Covid-19 booster shots can visit a Selcare clinic in the state to get one for free.

State public health, unity, women empowerment and family committee chairman Dr Siti Mariah Mahmud (pic) said Sinovac vaccines were still in stock and could be used as booster shots.

She said Covid-19 cases in Selangor throughout this year was under control, with the state recording about 1,000 to 2,000 cases daily from epidemiological week 35 to 46.

“The majority of the registered cases fall under category two, while 4.5% are under categories three, four and five,” she revealed.

Dr Siti Mariah said the average fatality in Selangor due to Covid-19 was six cases a week and a total of 11 deaths were recorded during epidemiological week 46 ending Nov 19.

“In terms of overall death rate, Selangor recorded a total of 10,911, which is a 0.7% Case-Fatality-Rate (CFR). For this year, the CFR rate dropped to 0.1% since epidemiological week 3.

“The data shows that the level of control for Covid-19 in Selangor is satisfactory,” she said at the Selangor state assembly sitting. She was replying to Saari Sungib’s (PH-Hulu Kelang) question on transmission of the Covid-19 virus in Selangor.

Dr Siti Mariah said factors that contributed to the current rate of Covid-19 comprised a high vaccination rate including booster shots with more than 90% of the total Selangor population vaccinated, public health facilities that were able to accommodate category three, four and five cases, and continuous health education measures to remind the people on the TRIIS (Test, Report, Inform, Isolate, Seek) practice.

She said activities to encourage the public to get their second booster shot was still ongoing, especially for high-risk groups such as senior citizens, those with chronic diseases and pregnant mothers.

“This is because the emergence of new sub-variants such as Omicron XBB has shown an increased infectivity rate, although the death rate due to this new sub-variant remains low,” she said.

To a supplementary question by Saari on other infection control measures, Dr Siti Mariah said: “Vaccines are the most effective. The challenge is that the virus variant keeps evolving, rendering earlier versions of the vaccine ineffective.

“To my knowledge, pharmaceutical companies are working on creating a live attenuated vaccine for Covid-19 virus. One shot of this vaccine is supposed to be effective for all virus strains.

“If a live attenuated vaccine for Covid-19 is developed, the Health Ministry and state government can acquire them for the people.

“But for now, we will continue to await instructions from the Health Ministry on the types of vaccines to be administered for prevention methods,” she said.

Live attenuated vaccines use a weakened form of the germ that causes a disease. Examples include the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine and varicella vaccine also known as chickenpox vaccine.