GEORGE TOWN: The Sinovac and AstraZeneca vaccines for Covid-19 booster doses will be available in Penang next month.
State Health Committee chairman Dr Norlela Ariffin (PKR - Penanti) said the federal government had approved both vaccines, on top of the existing Pfizer vaccine, for the administration of booster doses.
"In Penang, we have a surplus of over 200,000 Sinovac vaccines for those who do not want Pfizer for booster shots.
"We will begin using it next month," she told the state legislative assembly sitting here today when replying to an oral question by Gooi Hsiao-Leung (PKR - Bukit Tengah).
As of Nov 29, a total 84,541 individuals in Penang have received their booster dose.
Norlela said the number was still low, placing Penang at the bottom five among all states in Malaysia.
"From our list, some 503,000 people in Penang are expected to be administered with the booster shot.
"However, only 84,541 people have received theirs.
"We have been pressing the federal government to expedite the booster doses in Penang as well," she added.
In the Klang Valley, some 697,546 people have received their booster shots while Sarawak, 648,885 people.
As of Nov 24, only 86 private clinics, eight private hospitals and three offsite Covid-19 vaccination centres (PPV) in the state are offering vaccinations that included booster doses, first doses for those who have yet to get vaccinated and for those who missed their second dose.
Norlela said one of the reasons for the slow take-up of the booster dose was that many individuals preferred Sinovac.
"Yesterday, at the Tapak Expo Seberang Jaya PPV, 500 people who went for booster doses left because they wanted Sinovac but we were only offering Pfizer as booster doses," she added.
She added that another reason was that there were limited spaces in the private clinics as each clinic could only vaccinate between 20 and 30 individuals a day.
"I have discussed with Protect Health and the only way to increase the take up of booster dose is to open up more community halls as offsite PPV so that we can increase the capacity.
"As such, I urge all the respective state assemblymen to identify community halls in your constituencies that can be converted into offsite PPV to dispense booster doses in collaboration with Protect Health," she said.
To another question by Lee Khai Loon (PKR - Machang Bubuk) if there was a mechanism to inform vaccine recipients of the type of booster dose they would be getting at the respective PPVs, Norlela said due announcements on this would be made soon through the media.