The 87-year-old from Sabah’s northern Kudat district was among the first to arrive at the Lotong health clinic vaccination centre in the Matunggong sub-district today.

His eagerness caught the attention of Sabah and Sarawak affairs minister Maximus Ongkili, who was at the centre to witness the inoculation process.

“The response has been good over here, not just from youths, but also the elderly people.

“Just like our friend, Tuawam, who came here early to get his jab,” said the Kota Marudu MP in a statement.

After Lotong, the three-day outreach programme in Matunggong will visit Naradang and Teringai.

“This is the first stop for the outreach programme here (in Matunggong), but there is also an on-going Covid-19 inoculation exercise at the sub-district office,” Ongkili said.

He added that of the 45,000 people in Matunggong, over 10,000, or 20%, have registered under the national vaccination programme.

“Of the figure, at least 1,862 have received their first dose, and 1,052 of them have completed both doses,” he said.

Ongkili noted that although response has been good, vaccine supply was becoming an issue.

“The doctors and nurses are saying that they can do more than 200 jabs per day, but vaccine supply is low. This is the challenge they are facing,” he said.

Ongkili said Putrajaya had been alerted and he expected the issue to be resolved quickly now that the national supply of vaccines has improved drastically, and that distribution in rural Sabah and Sarawak is being given priority.