KOTA KINABALU, Dec 17 ― The re-emergence of polio in Sabah recently has increased people's awareness about the importance of immunisation, with a surge in people bringing their children to government healthcare facilities for vaccination.

Sabah Health Department director Datuk Dr Christina Rundi said in the last week since the contagious polio disease was discovered in Tuaran, Sabah, many people have come forward for vaccination.

"The silver lining in this is that a lot of people are aware of the importance of immunisation. People are getting shots. The incident has encouraged defaulters to come forward to get vaccine shots, and not just for polio but any vaccine-preventable immunisation.” Dr Rundi told reporters after a walkabout along Jalan Gaya to promote the upcoming smoking ban next year.

Although she could not provide figures on the number of people who have come forward, Dr Rundi stressed that the number has definitely increased.

"Those coming forward include both locals and immigrants,” she said.

She said the state-wide polio immunisation programme being carried out at selected localities, including Tuaran has also received a positive response.

Polio vaccination is being carried out for free in nine districts ― Tuaran and Kota Kinabalu, Penampang and Putatan in the west coast, and Sandakan, Lahad Datu, Kunak and Semporna in the east.

"Non-Malaysians also do not have to pay for the polio vaccination although they still need to pay the fee for other types of immunisation,” she said.

Meanwhile, State Health and People’s Wellbeing Minister Datuk Frankie Poon said a total of 1,553 people in Tuaran have been examined for polio, with all testing negative.

"These people were examined and checked for symptoms such as acute flaccid paralysis, but all tested negative,” he said.

Meanwhile, the three-month-old baby diagnosed with polio is still being kept in an isolation ward and is in stable condition while he continues to receive treatment.

Poon said health officials are still investigating how the baby could have contracted the virus by taking stool samples from the baby’s 20 nearest contacts.

"We have also taken six environment samples and check on the presence of polio virus and are waiting for the lab results,” he said.