Kota Kinabalu: Sabah’s Covid-19 fatality rate reduced significantly since the State achieved 75 per cent immunisation, signifying the importance of getting vaccinated to prevent severe Covid-19 infections.
State Health Director Datuk Dr Rose Nani Mudin said analysis by the State Health Department (JKNS) showed the death tally averaged around 40-50 deaths daily around August and September last year.
“But after we reached 75 per cent immunisation rate in December 2021, the daily death tally went down to 10 and below, so we can see that the decrease in deaths is very apparent,” she told a press conference after officiating the first annual general meeting of Sabah’s breastfeeding support group and launching the first lactation room at the Rural Development Ministry (KPLB) office, Saturday.
Dr Rose said while the vaccine has an efficacy of 95 per cent, there is still a five per cent probability that an individual may get infected, however the symptoms will not be as severe.
“This is proven by a study done by JKNS itself. 100 per cent of (Covid-19 patients) admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and died were those who did not get their booster dose, while 50 per cent comprise those who are not vaccinated.
“This means that those vaccinated will experience less severity (if infected) and will not get admitted into the ICU,” she explained.
As such, she called on the public to get vaccinated and boosted while also encouraging parents to get their children vaccinated. She hoped that awareness on the importance of the vaccine can be increased, given the low vaccination rate among children as well as the booster dose.
“We have opened 250 vaccination
centres (PPV) comprising government and private hospitals as well as public and private clinics. We also administer the vaccine at schools, and we also have outreach (vaccination) programmes at islands and the interior.
“But even so, the response has been low. So I hope the awareness can increase, especially among parents who have children to send to school. They need to protect their children and vaccination is the best way,” she said.
Meanwhile, the State Health Department (JKNS) and the Health Ministry are in the midst of developing a strategic plan for the reopening of international borders on April 1.
Dr Rose said discussions are currently underway and regulations implemented by JKNS will be subject to policies under the Health Ministry and Government.
“We will discuss with the Ministry this week, in fact today they also held a meeting to finalise the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP), so I think in terms of strategic preparations there is no problem.
“We can adopt the existing strategies and fine-tune them. There is just a need to monitor the borders (in Sabah),” she said.
Asked on the possibility of cases rising after the borders reopen, Dr Rose said it is inevitable as the virus is already in the community.
She said it is more important to comply with the SOPs and get maximum protection with the vaccine.
“Whether we open the borders or not, the virus will continue to be among us. What determines whether the virus spreads rapidly or not is our compliance with the SOPs, which means we do not have direct contact with each other.
“Prevention measures must also be done, it is important that everyone gets vaccinated and boosted, and it is the same for children going to school,” she said.
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