KOTA KINABALU, June 26 — About 95 per cent of armed forces personnel in Sabah have received their COVID-19 vaccination, Senior Minister of Defence Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said.
Ismail Sabri said that 10,400 out of around 11,000 armed forces personnel on duty in the state have either received their first dose or completed both doses.
“We see that the percentage of armed forces personnel in Sabah who have been vaccinated is very high. Overall, around 95 per cent of personnel from all services, army, air force and navy have been vaccinated.
“We expect to vaccinate till 99 per cent of all the armed forces personnel in Sabah. This means less there is less than four per cent left to achieve that target and we are waiting for vaccines. We need another 600 doses only,” he told reporters after inspecting the 5 Infantry Division’s Drive-Through Vaccination programme at Padang Kawad, 3rd Battalion of the Royal Malay Regiment at the Lok Kawi Camp here today.
Also present were Chief of Defence Force General Tan Sri Affendi Buang, 5 Infantry Division commander Major General Datuk Mohd Halim Khalid and Sabah Community Development and People’s Wellbeing Minister Shahelmy Yahya.
The programme saw 636 individuals, including 67 armed forces personnel and 439 of their family members, as well as 69 Defence Ministry civilian employees and 61 reserve personnel receiving their vaccination via the drive-through method that started from 8 am today.
The one-day programme also involved 66 individuals, including four medical officers and 32 health officers manning three vehicle lanes and six stations for the vaccination process.
Ismail Sabri said Sabah was the third location for the implementation of the drive-through vaccination concept after the successful pioneer projects at Perdana Sungai Besi Camp and Muara Tuang Camp in Sarawak that were conducted on June 8 and 19 respectively.
He said the programme will also be conducted at Kabota Camp, Tawau and Sri Kinabatangan Camp, Sandakan.
“The drive-through vaccination concept can also be made available for the public, including armed forces veterans in Sabah if the state government requires the help of the relevant ministries to implement it to achieve the target of herd immunity,” he said.
He added that the Defence Ministry would ensure all armed forces personnel receive their vaccination as an effort to achieve herd immunity earlier as they are at the frontline responsible of safeguarding the sovereignty and peace of the country.
