PUTRAJAYA (Bernama): Covid-19 variants have been detected 584 cases in Malaysia so far, says Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba.
The Health Minister said the variants were detected during precautionary measures against the threat of the Delta variant (B1617.2), including genome sequencing following the World Health Organisation (WHO) statement that certain countries were threatened by the new variant.
“We found that there are threats from Covid-19 variants in our country,” he said in a media conference on the development of the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme with coordinating minister Khairy Jamaluddin, here on Monday (July 5).
From the 584 cases, 40 cases were of the Delta variant which is said to be aggressive, Beta variant (B.1.351) in 136 cases, Alpha variant (B117) in 10 cases, two cases involving B1525 variant, four cases of B161.7.14 and variants of concern (VOC) amounting to 392 cases, he said.
Dr Adham said the Health Ministry would be carrying out continuous preventive and control activities based on the high incident rate in an area, with cases spreading fast and involving deaths.
“We will map the genome sequence and from there, we will know if an individual was infected with a variant,” he said.
“It is also related to the vaccine administered. We have been informed that two doses are basic, which should be implemented in the country so that immunisation and resistance against the new variants can be achieved,” said Dr Adham.
On the Covid-19 Vaccine Fund, Dr Adham said the fund had not been utilised yet.
He also said a total of 18.6 out of every 1, 000 responses received through the MySejahtera application reported side effects since the beginning of the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme.
“Pain at the injection site, headache and fatigue are among the side effects that vaccine recipients often experience,” he said. – Bernama
