A teenager receives his Covid-19 vaccination shot at the Subterranean Penang International Convention and Exhibition centre in Bayan Baru September 22, 2021. — Picture by Sayuti Zainudin
KUCHING, April 17 — Eligible adolescents aged between 12 and 17 will be given a Covid-19 booster dose to better protect them against the virus, said Datuk Sri Dr Sim Kui Hian.
The Deputy Premier of Sarawak and State Disaster Management Committee advisor said the booster dose will be for adolescents, who are frail or suffer from illnesses.
“These individuals will be receiving a notification from the respective hospitals and they will be administered the booster dose at the hospital,” he said during the weekly Shall WEE Talk Facebook live session hosted by Kuching South Mayor Datuk Wee Hong Seng yesterday.
Dr Sim, who is also Public Health, Housing and Local Government Minister, said the Ministry of Health had recently announced that individuals aged 60 and above, termed as a high-risk group, would be given the fourth vaccine dose.
According to him, Sarawak has about 306,000 people who fall under this high-risk category.
“This is a huge number. I hope they will take the initiative to come forward to receive the fourth vaccine dose rather than waiting for the authorities to send them the notification.”
Dr Sim said the Covid-19 Omicron variant had been described as mild but its high transmissible rate may lead to higher fatality rate.
Due to this, he hoped that the community would not take the need for vaccination lightly. — Borneo Post