GEORGE TOWN: Some 9,243 people have received their second Covid-19 vaccine booster shot in Penang up to yesterday.
State Health Committee chairman Dr Norlela Ariffin said of the total, 5,892 people, or 63.7 per cent, were aged 60 and above.
"Following the announcement by Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin on the second booster jab for healthy individuals aged 50 to 59, Penang is no exception to its implementation.
"There are 51 vaccination centres (PPV) — 19 health clinics and 32 private PPVs — administering the second booster jab statewide," she said today.
The list of private PPVs can be obtained from ProtectHealth Corporation Sdn Bhd's website.
Dr Norlela said senior citizens who wanted to get the booster dose could do so through appointment via the MySejahtera application or at designated health clinics.
"Besides that, private PPVs also offer 'walk-in' service. Those intending to get the second dose could also call the PPV ahead of time for an appointment," she said.
Yesterday, Khairy told the Dewan Rakyat that healthy individuals aged 50 to 59 could now get their second Covid-19 vaccine booster jab.
He had said that this was the sixth group to be allowed to receive the second booster dose.
The others were those aged 60 and above with comorbidities, those aged 60 and above without comorbidities, individuals living at long-term care facilities, individuals aged 18 to 59 with comorbidities and frontliners.
Meanwhile, Norlela said the Omicron BA.5 sub-variant had yet to be detected in the state.
A virologist had warned that Malaysians should be worried about the new Covid-19 wave, especially with the Omicron BA.5 sub-variant in the country.
Universiti Sains Malaysia's Dr Kumitaa Theva Das had said that the new wave of Covid-19 infection was not something to be taken lightly.
She added that a few days ago, the BA.5 sub-variant made up 28 per cent of Malaysia's sequences.
"Now, it made up about 38 per cent of our sequences, and is detected in at least seven states," she was quoted as saying.