KOTA KINABALU, June 15 — Sabah is set to ramp up its vaccination programme, with the state government saying that it hopes to more than double the number of jabs administered by next month to 30,000 shots per day.

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor said that with the addition of more Covid-19 vaccination centres (PPV), including private clinics and hospitals, the state aims to achieve herd immunity by year end.

"I am confident we have all the facilities and supply of vaccines. In July, we will be doubling our administration of the vaccine to 30,000 people a day.

"At that rate, we can achieve our vaccination target of 2.9 million Sabahans above the age of 18 by the end of the year,” said Hajiji.

The national vaccination rate hit a record high of nearly 200,000 shots yesterday.

He said that there was no shortage in the supply of vaccines to Sabah, which are still arriving on a weekly basis.

"Most importantly, our people need to register for the vaccine, and come to the centres to get it,” he said.

Hajiji said Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) with the capacity of 1,000 people began operating yesterday to cater to the university’s lecturers and students as well as nearby residents.

The other PPV due to open soon include, among others, the Manggatal Community Centre, KDCA Hall, Libaran Multi-Purpose Hall and Balung IPG Hall.

"People can also get their jabs at Gleneagles Hospital and Rafflesia Medical Centre as well as 36 other private clinics in the state.

"Apart from that, as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), the Pacific Sutera management has allowed its hotel facilities to be used as a PPV,” he said.

In phase four of the Public-Private Partnership Covid-19 Industry Immunisation Programme (Pikas) that will commence in July, larger centres like the Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC) with a capacity to handle 3,500 people daily will open to inoculate industrial and economic service workers.

Hajiji also said that the state has run a mobile outreach programme of 26 teams — one for each district — since May 18. There is no data for this programme yet.

The state’s Covid-19 vaccination registration is at 22.9 per cent of its targeted population of 2.9 million.

It has fully vaccinated some 102,601 people, or 3.5 per cent. Another 232,905 or 7.94 per cent have received their first Covid-19 vaccine dose.

Nationally, 1.41 million individuals have been fully vaccinated, while 1.86 million individuals have received their first dose.

Selangor recorded the highest number of fully vaccinated people with 180,605 individuals completing their second dose of vaccination, followed by Sarawak (159,920), Perak (135,435), Johor (135,621) and Kuala Lumpur (127,174).