Masidi (second right) and Dr Christina receiving the first batch of vaccines at KKIA Terminal 2 today.
KOTA KINABALU: Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Hajiji Noor will be among the first three recipients of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine in the state.
Sabah’s official Covid-19 spokesperson, Datuk Seri Panglima Masidi Manjun said the other two are State Health director Datuk Dr Christina Rundi and Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Hazani Ghazali.
“The vaccination programme at the state level will be officially be launched on March 4,” Masidi told reporters when receiving the state’s first batch of vaccines at the Kota Kinabalu International Airport (KKIA) Terminal 2 today.
He said the first phase of the vaccination programme will see Sabah receiving a total of 104,110 doses of vaccines, which will be distributed in six batches.
The first batch, which arrived today contained a total of 16,380 doses. The next five remaining batches would arrive in stages, from March 4 to April 1.
He stressed that the 42,117 medical frontliners in the state, both in the government and private sectors, would be given priority.
“We will give them the vaccines regardless of where they are stationed at. Our priority is to inject (the vaccine) on the 42,117 frontliners,” he said.
When asked why Sabah was the last state to receive the vaccine, Masidi said the delay was due to ‘logistics’.
“I think it’s more for logistics reasons…it’s not just about the availability of the vaccine – it’s also about efficient distribution and implementation of the vaccines,” he said.
He had also given his assurance that the vaccines are completely safe – as what was stated by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
“Yes. I know that there are still some who are sceptical about the vaccines. But if we look at the statistics issued by the WHO, the evidence that supports the use of vaccines is overwhelming,” added Masidi.
The post CM, CP, director first to get Covid jab in Sabah March 4 appeared first on Borneo Post Online.