Science, technology and innovation minister Khairy Jamaluddin gave this assurance to chief minister Hajiji Noor during a virtual meeting today.
“We will reserve the first shipment for Sabah. Similarly, we will notify and give the option to Sabah on the Johnson & Johnson (single-dose vaccine),” added Khairy, who is also the minister in charge of the vaccination programme.
Khairy was responding to the chief minister’s call for more vaccine supply to speed up the state’s vaccination target of 60% by October and to reach herd immunity by the year-end.
Other state leaders from both sides of the political divide have previously spoken up over the vaccine shortage faced by the state.
Hajiji welcomed Khairy’s assurance and said it was crucial for the state to reach out to the communities in the interior areas and far-flung islands. Communication links with them are hampered by rough terrain and distance.
“We have opened up 177 vaccine administration centres (PPV) throughout the state to date. Together with the mobile outreach facilities and the army’s medic vaccination programme, we are on track to get more people vaccinated,” he told Khairy.
Hajiji thanked the federal government for the cooperation extended to Sabah in the vaccination programme.
Meanwhile, state health director Dr Rose Nani Mudin disclosed that Sabah’s first integrated vaccine administration centre (PPV Integrasi) will kick off next week at the Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC).
PPV Integrasi will roll out free vaccines, allowing private hospitals to assist in speeding up the vaccination process.
She said this will ease the workload of public hospitals which have been battling an influx of Covid-19 cases.
Also present with Hajiji at the online meeting were state local government and housing minister Masidi Manjun, who is also Sabah’s official Covid-19 spokesman, state community development and people’s wellbeing minister Shahelmey Yahya and state secretary Safar Untong.
Khairy was accompanied by special adviser to the prime minister on public health Dr Jemilah Mahmood and deputy army chief Mohammad Ab Rahman.