KOTA KINABALU: Sabah's delayed implementation of the Covid-19 vaccination programme is due to logistical issues.
State Covid-19 spokesperson Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun said Sabah will begin the inoculation programme next Thursday, making it the last state to commence the initiative.
"It is due to logistics and not just the availability of vaccines.
"It is also to ensure efficient distribution and implementation of the programme," he said when receiving the first batch of Covid-19 vaccines which arrived at the Terminal 2, here from Kuala Lumpur.
Also present were Sabah Community Development and People Wellbeing minister Shahelmy Yahya and state Health director Datuk Dr Christina Rundi.
Following the kick-start of the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme yesterday, netizens questioned why Sabah is the last state to begin vaccinations despite recording an average daily infection tally in the three digits.
Masidi, who is also the state Local Government and Housing minister, added that the first batch of 104,130 doses would arrive in Sabah in stages.
Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor, Dr Christina and Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Hazani Ghazali will be the first three to receive the first dose of the vaccine during the March 4 launch.
He added that 42,117 frontliners, both in government and private sectors, across the state would be part of phase one of the inoculation programme.
Masidi added that more vaccines would be flown in by stages and all citizens will get their two doses of vaccines for maximum protection.