KUCHING, Nov 8 — Widespread fake news on Covid-19 booster shots is putting Sarawakian lives at risk, said Datuk Seri Dr Sim Kui Hian.
The State Disaster Management Committee advisor pointed out 162,826 individuals across Sarawak have received a Pfizer-BioNTech booster dose as of Nov 4, with no serious reactions reported.
He said over 70 per cent or 115,532 of them had previously been vaccinated with Sinovac, while the rest were previously administered the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.
“Despite hundreds of thousands having received their booster dose in Sarawak, there are no booster serious reactions — be it same vaccine (homologous) or mix and match vaccine (heterologous).
“Yet, there is widespread fake news to create fear (especially about mix and match booster) by many irresponsible people with evil intentions — putting the lives of our fellow Sarawakians at risk of severe Covid-19 (infections) and death,” he said in a Facebook post last night.
Dr Sim said 597,097 Sarawakians are eligible for the booster dose between last month and this month.
He pointed out that Sarawak is one of the states in Malaysia to have completed dispensing the first two doses of Covid-19 vaccine.
He cited World Health Organisation (WHO) and medical experts worldwide highlighting the waning of immunity against Covid-19 — six months after the second dose of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and three months after the second dose of the Sinovac vaccine.
The Local Government and Housing Minister added AstraZeneca vaccine recipients also require a booster dose but the duration has yet to be established.
As such, Dr Sim recommended those eligible for the booster dose to go for the jab.
He called on the authorities to allow walk-in booster doses since the caretaker Gabungan Parti Sarawak government had restarted 50 vaccination centres (PPVs) prior to the dissolution of the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) on Nov 3.
He added another batch of 132,000 Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine doses arrived at the Kuching International Airport last night.
“Sarawakians have done it for the first and second doses; let’s do it again for the booster dose in the spirit of Sarawak solidarity. Together we shall overcome Covid-19,” he stressed. — Borneo Post Online
