K'tan govt wants one million Covid-19 vaccine doses before monsoon season

KOTA BARU (Bernama): The Kelantan government is appealing to the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry to approve the state’s request for one million doses of Covid vaccinesbefore the onset of the monsoon season in October.

Mentri Besar Datuk Ahmad Yakob said the state government was worried about people in the state not getting appropriate protection from the virus during the monsoon season if 80%pof its population could not be vaccinated as targeted.

He said that so far, more than 30% of Kelantan’s population had received the first dose of a vaccine while over 13% had completed the second jab.

"We expect to achieve the target of 40% to be vaccinated by the end of August if the supply of vaccine can be obtained as scheduled.

"So, we are appealing to the Ministry to fulfil the state government’s request for one million doses to protect our people’s lives before the coming monsoon season.”

Ahmad said this after attending the launch of the state-level National Month and Fly the Jalur Gemilang Programme at Kompleks Kota Darulnaim here Sunday (Aug 8).

Also present were Kelantan Deputy Mentri Besar Datuk Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah, state police chief Comm Datuk Shafien Mamat and Information Department director Azahar Ismail.

Ahmad said the state government was also prepared to administer the vaccine through walk-ins if the doses could be obtained as requested.

"If this is so, we expect that 33,000 vaccine jabs can be given in a day, besides being able to optimise the operations of the 27 vaccination centres (PPV) in the state.

"We will be cooperating with the State Health Department in this matter (walk-in vaccinations) if we receive the vaccine supply,” he added. - Bernama