About 40,000 eligible individuals aged 60 years and above in Sibu Division will be receiving their booster dose from next week. – Picture by Hari Anggara
SIBU, Oct 24 — About 40,000 eligible individuals aged 60 years and above in Sibu Division will be receiving their booster dose from next week, says Sibu Divisional Disaster Management Committee (SDDMC) coordinator, Dr Annuar Rapaee.
“I was made to understand by divisional health officer Dr Teh Jo Hun that about 40,000 individuals 60 years and above in this division are eligible to receive the booster dose from next week.
“The Ministry of Health will issue the information including the vaccination centre to receive the booster dose via MySejahtera app. For those going to private medical practitioners, I will upload the details in my Facebook later.
“I want those eligible to receive the booster dose to get their jabs, as studies have shown the importance of booster dose to increase body immunity against Covid-19. Although, we have completed both doses of Covid-19 vaccine, the immunity response wanes over time,” the Assistant Minister of Local Government and Housing said during his live Facebook streaming last night.
Dr Annuar also said those aged 60 years and above, who are recipients of Sinovac vaccine, are eligible for the booster dose three months from the date of the second dose.
Recipients of Pfizer vaccine aged 60 years and above are eligible for the booster dose after six months from the date of the second dose, he added. He thus reminded the people here not to let their guard down despite lower number of daily cases recorded from Oct 10 till 16 compared to the numbers from Oct 17 to 23.
“We must continue to abide strictly by the standard operating procedure (SOP). The lower cases (914) recorded from Oct 10 till 16 against 632 cases from Oct 17 till 23, does not mean we can start to take things easy and become complacent.
“With the restrictions being eased, it does not mean we need not practise social distancing or take necessary precautions against Covid-19 infection.”
On the 84 cases reported in Sibu yesterday, eight cases (9.52 per cent) were in Category 1, while 73 cases (86.91 per cent) in Category 2. Category 3 recorded no cases, Category 4 two cases (2.38 per cent), and Category 5 one case (1.19 per cent).
Dr Annuar also repeated his reminders for those under home quarantine to immediately call the hospital if their fever persists to avoid any health complications.
“If you are undergoing quarantine at home, use oximeter to monitor the oxygen level in your body. Monitor your symptoms and if your fever persists for one or more days, call the Covid Assessment Centre or hospital immediately,” he said. — Borneo Post