Dr Roland Dom Mattu
MIRI (May 18): A private medical specialist here has called on the authorities in Sarawak to use the AstraZeneca (AZ) and Sinovac Covid-19 vaccines to inoculate the rural population.
Obstetrician and gynaecologist Dr Roland Dom Mattu also called on the authorities to reserve the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for pregnant women.
“As an obstetrician, the preferred vaccine for pregnant women is Pfizer and this should be reserved for them, while the AZ and Sinovac, which do not need very low sub-zero temperatures for storage, are ideal for vaccination of the rural population,” he said.
Dr Roland also called on the Health Department and its medical experts, instead of politicians, to continue to coordinate and drive the vaccination programme.
He praised efforts to ensure Sarawak achieves herd community, saying this would be the starting point for near-normal life during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“There are no two ways about how we can get back to normal or near-normal — being vaccinated. And I am glad we are back on track with vaccination,” he said when commenting on the Covid-19 Immunisation Task Force (CITF) Sarawak agreeing for the AZ vaccine to be used in Sarawak on a voluntary and first come, first served basis by appointment.
Dr Roland, who previously demanded Sarawakians be given equal opportunity to voluntarily opt for the AZ vaccine, welcomed the state government’s decision to follow suit, with priority given to those aged 60 and above.
He also praised The Borneo Post for raising this matter of public interest and conducting the poll which indicated Sarawakians are receptive to this approach.
Dr Roland said the private sector should be roped in to expedite the national vaccination programme while the delays in the delivery of vaccines is sorted out. He said it would take both the public and private sector working together to speed up the vaccination of at least 70 per cent of the population to achieve herd immunity.
Separately, he called on Sarawakians to abide by state Health director Dr Chin Zin Hing’s appeal for all to bring down Covid-19 infections in the state by staying at home.
Dr Roland said the stark reality is that hospitals could be overwhelmed if Covid-19 infections continue to rise.
Individuals can keep themselves and their loved ones safe with good practices as outlined in the SOPs by the Ministry of Health and going for vaccination against Covid-19, he added.