Khairy: 90pc of adults in Johor to be fully vaccinated by end of Sept

ISKANDAR PUTERI, Aug 8 — Ninety per cent of the adult population in Johor are expected to complete their two-dose vaccination by the end of September.

Coordinating minister for the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (PICK), Khairy Jamaluddin is confident that this target can be achieved with the additional vaccine supply this month and next month, besides the opening of more vaccination centres (PPV) in the state.

“With the opening of new PPV, the vaccination capacity in Johor which is now 71,000 doses per day involving 259 PPV is expected to increase to 90,000 doses per day by next month,” he told reporters after visiting the PPV site at Iskandar Malaysia Studios, here, today.

The proposed new PPV include the one at Iskandar Malaysia Studios, with the capacity of providing 7,000 doses per day.

Khairy said one of the other proposals was creating a drive-thru PPV at Arena Larkin for the disabled and senior citizens.

“Senator Datuk Ras Adiba Mohd Radzi had made a visit to see the place (Arena Larkin) and she felt it would be suitable for the purpose. I definitely would want to open a drive-thru PPV for the disabled in Johor,” said Khairy, who is also Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation.

Earlier, he appeared before the Tunku Mahkota Johor, Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim to present the vaccine supply schedule for the state in Augustust.

Tunku Ismail then in a statement uploaded onto the Crown Prince’s official Facebook page, said Johor would be receiving two million doses of (Covid-19) vaccine this month.

According to the schedule, 324,940 doses of the vaccine would arrive on August 1, 564,234 doses on August 9, 340,150 on August 16 and 796,344 on August 23.

Tunku Ismail also expressed hope that this would result in herd immunity to the viral infection in the state soon.

Meanwhile, in a statement, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba said the additional two million doses encompassed all types of Covid-19 vaccines approved by the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA) and for distribution to the PPV in Johor to help speed up herd immunity in the state.

To date, 1,362,398 people in Johor have received the first dose of vaccine while 540,895 have completed their two-dose vaccination.

“About 50.2 per cent of the adult population in the state have at least received the first dose,” he added. — Bernama