SIBU, Feb 27 — Sibu Divisional Disaster Management Committee (SDDMC) coordinator Dr Annuar Rapaee is pleased to note that more members of the public are now receptive to receiving the Covid-19 vaccination than before.

Dr Annuar recalled previously that he had received many queries from the public expressing concern about getting vaccinated, partly due to the lack of understanding or were swayed by negative perception.

"I have been having daily live session on my FB (Facebook) to explain the importance and benefit of getting vaccinated. So now, the questions that I get are whether or not one can be vaccinated and wanting to know more about the process. To me, this is a very positive development.

"Based on a research, after 18 million vaccinations were administered, only 66 cases experienced severe allergies. These are very rare cases.

"Vaccination is very important as we need over 70 per cent of the people to be vaccinated to establish herd immunity to tackle Covid-19,” Dr Annuar, who is also Assistant Minister of Local Government and Housing told reporters after receiving his vaccination at Lanang Health Clinic here today.

He also shared his personal experience about getting the jab.

"Of course, some people have a fear of needles. But I feel that the pressure applied by the nurse on my arm is more that the pressure of needle injected into my arm. There is no problem at all and so, I urge people to get vaccinated,” he said.

Additionally, he said for Sibu Division, more than 3,500 frontliners will be vaccinated in the first phase of the vaccination programme.

These frontliners are mostly from the Ministry of Health (KKM) and others, including personnel from the police, army and Rela, he added.

Dr Annuar, who is also Assistant Minister for Education, Science and Technological Research, said phase 2 of the programme will involve senior citizens, OKUs and those in high risk groups.

He stressed that it was most important for frontliners to be vaccinated to avoid the risks of getting infected that could hamper the efforts to contain Covid-19.

"That is why the government has given the priority to frontliners to be vaccinated in phase 1,” the Nangka assemblyman said.

Among those vaccinated at the health clinic were Senator Robert Lau, SDDMC chairman and Sibu Resident Charles Siaw, Sibu police chief ACP Stanley Jonathan Ringgit and his deputy Superintendent Collin Babat, Sibu Municipal Council (SMC) chairman Clarence Ting, Sibu Rural District Council (SRDC) chairman Sempurai Petrus Ngelai and Sibu District Officer Suhaili Mohamed. — Bernama