SANDAKAN, Feb 27 — The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine destined for personnel conducting the first phase of the 2021 National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme in Sandakan arrived safely here today.

Sandakan district police chief ACP Mohd Azhar Hamin, who is also the Sandakan Disaster Management Committee deputy chairman, said the vaccine was sent overland from Kota Kinabalu at 8.35 am and arrived in Telupid here at around 10.45 am after travelling some 226 kilometres.

"Then the team from the Sandakan district police headquarters and the Sandakan Duchess of Kent Hospital (DOKH) made the 120 km trip to Telupid to bring the vaccine home.

"A team comprising of three police officers and six personnel as well as four hospital officials set off from Telupid at 11.35 am and arrived at DOKH at around 1.10 pm and the vaccine was immediately kept in a storage room at the hospital under tight police security,” he said when met here today.

Mohd Azhar also thanked road users who lent their cooperation to ensure the smooth delivery of the vaccine to the hospital.

The state-level National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme will be launched by Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Hajiji Mohd Noor, who will be the first vaccine recipient in the state on March 4. — Bernama