The public is extremely unhappy at the disruption in vaccine supplies causing four major vaccination centres(PPV) in Penang to be closed today following a shortage of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine supplies. The Penang Health Department said appointments for second-dose vaccine recipients for next week have been rescheduled to the following week because of a disruption in the supply of the Pfizer vaccine to the state beginning on August 12.
For PPVs to be closed due to the disruption in vaccine supply at this stage is ridiculous and raises questions of government competence. Three of the centres closed are on the island – Balik Pulau sports complex, Balai Rakyat Bayan Baru and Pesta site in Sungai Nibong – and the other is at Dewan Milenium in Seberang Perai Utara. Apparently, the closure of the vaccination centres is just not in Penang but also in other states. This is unacceptable when infections and deaths are soaring at record levels with cumulative infections of 1,384,353 and death toll of 12,228.
Following the failure of the government to contain COVID-19 and poor support given to front-liners and hospital facilities resulting in shortage of ICU beds in both public and private hospitals as well as deplorable conditions at public hospitals, vaccination is seen as the only source of protection. So great is the fear, there are rumours now of a big demand for private purchase of vaccines at RM350 for two doses. Is this one of the sad outcomes of the National Immunisation Programme(PICK)?
DAP elected representatives in Penang are unhappy at the current state of affairs, especially at the lack of information and communication by the relevant authorities. Unfortunately, even the state government has been blamed. The state government should be forceful with the Federal agencies especially on the delay in appointment of a Penang MP acceptable to both Federal and state government as a coordinator for the Operation Surge Capacity(OSC) to better manage and match logistics with vaccine supplies so that what happened in PPVs throughout Penang and Malaysia do not recur.
DAP believes that if a similar appointment was made in Penang as in the Klang Valley, Penang’s vaccination rate may have reached the Klang Valley’s first dose vaccination rate of 104.2% of the adult population instead of the current 69.5% on 14 August. The current target of 100% vaccination of the adult population by September 2021 is unacceptable and should be brought forward earlier before Merdeka to save lives and livelihood.
The concern is that with the disruption in supplies causing PPVs to be closed, whether this target is achievable. The people of Penang do not want to achieve herd immunity by infection and inoculation but by inoculation alone. A OSC coordinator can do a better job to assist the state government and the Federal government achieve the vaccination target faster and resolve all the logistic issues.