THE vaccination coverage in certain places may not be more than 100% as the figures are based on a previous population census, chief statistician of Malaysia Mohd Uzir Mahidin said.
 
Some vaccine recipients may have taken their Covid-19 shots at another state instead of where they are currently residing, he said.
 
Uzir was asked to explain why certain areas and states have vaccination coverage of more than 100%.

Figures released by the Health Ministry show that as of September 23, for example, 108.3% of adults in the Klang Valley have been fully vaccinated while 104.4% adults in Labuan and 101.3% in Negri Sembilan have completed at least one dose.
 
“Certain people may not have taken their vaccination at their home (state),” he told The Malaysian Insight.
 
Uzir said this means the overall percentage has not exceeded 100% for states that show this vaccination rate figure.
 
He said the numbers reflected in the vaccination data also include the population who were unaccounted for in the previous census, adding that the numbers in some states will be reviewed.
 
The Department of Statistics Malaysia is also in the midst of completing a new census.
 
He said DOSM has completed 80% of the 2020 census.
 
“We expect to complete it by October,” he said.
 
The 2020 census, which was launched in July last year, had to be delayed four times due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
 
On July 10, then Federal Territories Minister Annuar Musa drew attention to the vaccination rate of adults with their first dose which at that point had exceeded 100%.

He said the data should be updated to reflect the fact that certain recipients may have received their jabs in Kuala Lumpur despite residing outside of Kuala Lumpur.
 
Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said earlier this month that the vaccination rate has exceeded 100% in some states due to undocumented foreigners, underestimation of the population size and migration. These factors were not reflected in the statistics.
 
“There are districts with 80% coverage, but they said everyone has been vaccinated,” he said.
 
“The Department of Statistics Malaysia did not get to conduct a census last year, so we don’t know how deep the black hole is, but we are confident we have enough vaccine supply to cover the so-called population underestimation,” Khairy said.
 
By total population, over 58% of people in Malaysia are fully vaccinated. – September 26, 2021.