IPOH, March 1 — Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Saarani Mohamad today clarified that all the 10 state executive councillors (exco) were scheduled to receive the vaccine today, adding that there was no issue of queue-jumpers.
Saarani said that out of 221 vaccine recipients, only 11 are from the state government, including himself, while the remainder are the frontliners from various health departments and health laboratories in the Kinta District.
“I think it’s fair (to give the vaccine one shot) for the state (Perak) as there are only 10 exco here.
“However, for the Federal it’s a different thing, there are 30 ministers. So they might take turns. And I believe this is what Khairy Jamaluddin meant,” he told reporters after receiving the vaccine at the vaccination centre (PPV) at the Indera Mulia Stadium here.
Yesterday, the Science and Technology Minister tweeted that MPs are in the first phase of vaccination, but other ‘VVIPs’ who are not MPs also wanted to be on the list.
“To be clear, the MPs are in the first phase. However, ‘VVIP’, who are not MPs, also wants to be on the list. Cannot. Also for the MPs I request to take in stages. There are some state who gave one shot to all exco. Not good,” he wrote in his tweet.
Saarani said that according to the Health Department, the state has received 22,230 doses of vaccine for the first phase of Covid-19 immunisation programme in the state.
“For this purpose, around 39,760 frontliners in the state will receive the vaccine dose which is expected to be completed by end of the next month.
“There are 23,094 staffs from the Health Ministry while the balance 17,666 are frontliners from other departments who are directly involved in the Covid-19 preventing and controlling activities,” he said.
Saarani also advised and reminded that those who have been vaccinated to heed the standard operating procedures (SOP) such as wearing the face mask, maintaining physical distance and keeping hygiene.
“They have to understand that there are a lot of people out there who are still not vaccinated.
“We still need to follow the SOP. There are many other diseases which can infect via mouth and nose apart from Covid-19. So we have maintained this new norm,” he said.
When asked how he felt after receiving the vaccine, Saarani said he felt normal and he did not experience any allergies.
“People don’t have to be sacred of the vaccine. Vaccination is not something new. All this while those who went to pilgrimage were vaccinated and children also have been vaccinated when they were young,” he said.
