GEORGE TOWN: Penang will start dispensing the Sinovac Covid-19 booster dose in December as a measure to increase the number of booster dose recipients in the state.
State Health, Agriculture, Agro-based Industry and Rural Development Committee chairman, Dr Norlela Ariffin(pix) said the state government had decided on this because several vaccine recipients had refused to accept Pfizer as a booster dose since they had received the Sinovac vaccine as the first and second doses.
“Sinovac and AstraZeneca have recently been approved as booster dose vaccines and we will start giving this vaccine to those who reject the Pfizer vaccine next month,” she said during the state legislative assembly sitting today.
She said this in reply to a question from Gooi Hsiao-Leung (PKR- Bukit Tengah) on the state government's plans to expedite the implementation of CovidD-19 vaccine booster dose for Penangites.
Norlela said until Nov 29, the number of booster dose recipients in Penang stands at 84,541 people, which is among the five lowest states whose population has received the booster shot, despite the various approaches taken.
She added that the state Health Department is working with ProtectHealth to increase the involvement of private health facilities as well as increase the number of doses dispensed at the facilities which are currently administering the booster doses.
She added that as of Nov 24, there were 86 private clinics, eight private hospitals and three vaccination centres offering booster dose shots.
To increase the number of Covid-19 booster dose administered, Norlela also proposed that the state assemblymen recommend the halls that can be used in their respective areas to help reduce costs.-Bernama
