SARAWAK today began vaccinating its 289,200 teenagers starting first with 12- to 15-year-olds who have co-morbidities and 16- to 17-year-olds. 

The target the state has set is to get all school-going 16- to 17-year-olds to have their two-dose jabs to complete their immunisation before school reopens on October 3. 

The target is also to have the programme completed – depending on vaccine supply – by the end of October. 

Sarawak is the first state in the country to vaccinate its teens and the rollout started simultaneously in six of the state’s 12 administrative divisions – Kuching, Serian, Sri Aman, Sarikei, Sibu and Bintulu. 

Chief Minister Abang Johari Openg took time out to witness the vaccination process at the health clinic in the Malay coastal village of Telaga Air, about 18km from Kuching. 

Abang Johari said the first dose to be administered to the first batch of targeted teens – 12- to 15-year-olds with co-morbidities and those aged 16 to 17, is expected to be completed by this weekend with the second dose in three weeks time. 

The vaccination of healthy 12- to 15-year-olds is scheduled to start in the fourth week of October between the 22nd and 26th, he added. 

All will be vaccinated with the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.

The delivery centres will be some of the existing public vaccination centres, schools and health clinics, the chief minister said. 

Health clinics will provide the immunisation service to teens who are no longer in school. 

Abang Johari said for teenagers in the rural areas, they will be vaccinated in the health department’s Covid-19 outreach programme. 

Teams from the respective divisional health office will go to the participating schools to provide the vaccination. 

According to figures from the Statistics Department, teens between the ages of 12 and 17 last year made up 10.3% of the state’s population. 

There are 96,400 of those in the 16-17 age group who make up 3.4% of the population while 192,800 12- to 15-year-olds make up 6.9% of the population. 

Sarawak, as of Monday, has had 88.9% of its eligible adult population – 18 years and above – fully vaccinated, according to state health director Dr Mohamed Sapian Mohamed. – September 8, 2021.