Ministry advises rural residents not to be choosy about Covid-19 vaccine

A woman holds a small bottle labeled with a "Vaccine COVID-19" sticker and a medical syringe in this illustration taken April 10, 2020. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

MERSING (Bernama): The Rural Development Ministry has advised rural residents not to be choosy about the type of Covid-19 vaccine that they get as all vaccines are approved by the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA).

Minister Datuk Dr Abdul Latiff Ahmad said the priority was for them to get vaccinated as soon as possible to help the country achieve herd immunity to fight the pandemic.

"The people should not be choosy about the type of Covid-19 vaccine that they want whether it is a single-dose vaccine such as CanSino or a double-dose vaccine, because the important thing is that they get the injection as soon as possible.

"Rural communities such as the Orang Asli, when I met them the first time, they said they were a little worried about getting the vaccine, but after we talked to them, their response was very good," he told reporters after checking on the mobile vaccination programme at Pulau Sibu, here, on Saturday (Aug 7).

He was responding to a question on whether the single-dose CanSino Covid-19 vaccine would be administered to rural people.

The two-day mobile vaccination programme that started on Friday (Aug 6) was held to vaccinate residents of the seven islands off Mersing namely Pulau Aur, Pulau Pemanggil, Pulau Besar, Pulau Tinggi, Pulau Sibu, Pulau Rawa and Pulau Tengah.

Earlier about 1,000 residents and tourism sector workers from the islands received their first Covid-19 jab.

National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme coordinating minister Khairy Jamaluddin was reported to have said that Sabah would be given priority as one of the first states to receive the single-dose CanSino vaccine to facilitate the vaccination process among its people especially those living in the interiors.- Bernama