SANDAKAN, Oct 8 — The Sabah State Health Department (JKNS) has implemented the Rapid Assessment and Vaccination Operation (RAVO) in an effort to ramp up the state’s Covid-19 vaccination rate which has yet to achieve 80 per cent for its adult population.

Its director, Datuk Dr Rose Nani Mudin said, 25 JKNS personnel have been mobilised to carry out the RAVO project, including through house visits with the assistance of district health offices, government agencies and elected representatives.

"We started the RAVO initiative in Sandakan where 151,200 of its adult population have yet to get vaccinated.

"After Sandakan, RAVO will be implemented in districts with vaccination rate that has not reached a satisfactory level like Tawau, Kinabatangan, Tongod, Nabawan, Keningau , Papar, Lahad Datuk and Kota Belud,” she told reporters after inspecting the implementation of RAVO at Kampung Forest, here today.

On the vaccination rate in Sabah, Dr Rose Nani said as of Wednesday, some 2.25 million adults or 72.9 per cent have received their first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine while 1.75 million or 63.3 per cent have been fully vaccinated.

Meanwhile, she said 289,615 adolescents have received their first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine with another 3,162 teenagers having completed their two-dose vaccination.

Dr Rose Nani also said that several vaccination centres (PPV) in Sabah will be closed in stages with only 13 selected PPVs throughout the state will continue to operate until all 289,000 doses are administered. — Bernama