GEORGE TOWN: Penang has requested for 1.2 million Covid-19 vaccine doses this month to speed up the ongoing National Immunisation Programme (NIP).
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said they were informed during the Covid-19 Immunisation Task Force (CITF) meeting chaired by
Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin yesterday that it would receive 707,220 vaccine doses this month.
He said the vaccine supply was for both the first and second doses.
"I have spoken to the minister, and this was followed by an official letter today on our request to add an additional 500,000 vaccine doses for this month, bringing the overall total to 1.2 million doses compared to the allocated amount of 707,220.
"Besides accelerating the vaccination process, the vaccine supply requested is very important to flatten the curve of positive Covid-19 cases, which according to the state Health Department, will show an upward trend in the next two weeks," he said.
According to Chow, based on the operations of all the vaccination centres (PPV) in the state, Penang was able to achieve 40,000 doses daily.
Penang has been seeing daily positive Covid-19 cases of more than 600 to over 800 the past week.
Yesterday, Penang saw a record 1,022 positive Covid-19 cases, the highest since the pandemic first struck in March last year. It was also the first time the state breached the 1,000 mark.
Chow said, looking at the current trend of infections, it was undeniable that vaccination was the way forward to reduce the infection rate.
"As such, I have asked for vaccination to be expedited, especially among those involved in sectors which recorded high number of clusters," he said.
As of 11.59pm on Wednesday, the Special Committee on Covid-19 Vaccine Supply Access Guarantee (JKJAV) reported that 60 per cent of the adult population in Penang had received their first dose, while 24.7 per cent, the second dose.