KOTA BARU, May 16 — A total of 50,000 individuals in Kelantan, including frontliners, have completed their two doses of the Covid-19 vaccination shots for the first and second phases of the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme so far.

Kelantan state health department director Datuk Dr Zaini Hussin said, however, 1,800 out of 9,000 vaccine recipients who registered for the second phase, involving the elderly and at-risk categories, failed to show up for their scheduled appointments.

"We hope they will inform us earlier if they cannot make the scheduled appointment for their vaccinations so as to avoid wastage.

"If we are informed early, we can prepare a standby list of recipients for vaccination as we have a waiting list for the same category,” he told reporters after visiting the Covid-19 Quarantine and Low-Risk Treatment Centre at Gelanggan Seni here today. Also present was Kelantan Covid-19 centre director Dr Mohd Azman Yacob.

Regarding a study by the Health Ministry showing that two per cent of the entire Kelantan population would reject vaccination, Dr Zaini explained that some rejected it because they were concerned about the vaccine’s halal status.

"In addition, they feel that the vaccine would not benefit them, and they were also influenced by allegations that have gone viral on social media about the vaccines’ side effects,” he said.

Dr Zaini added that the Gelanggang Seni centre was expected to be fully operational tomorrow afternoon and, if needed, might be turned into a field hospital depending on the current situation. — Bernama