GEORGE TOWN (Bernama): Penang will be getting double the number of vaccines next month following the increase in its daily vaccination rate, which exceeds set targets.

Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said this during a special session of the “National Security Council (NSC): Covid-19 Management” on Friday (June 25).

“Therefore, this will enable all listed vaccine administration centres (PPV), including on-site PPV involving several multinational companies which are still waiting for the green light, to be opened and be fully operational,” he said in a statement here on Saturday (June 26).

He said there were currently 11 public PPVs in operation in Penang, including at the SPICE Arena and Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM); a special PPV for economic frontliners; seven PPVs at private hospitals and 19 at private clinics.

Chow said overall, Penang’s daily vaccination rate had now exceeded the target set by the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry based on the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme, which aims to achieve herd immunity by October this year.

The vaccination target for Penang for June 2021 is 6,544 doses per day. However, as a result of joint efforts by the Penang State Health Department and related parties, we have achieved 14,422 doses by June 24, with some PPVs recording a level that exceeded maximum capacity,” he said.

He said that as of June 24, the website, vaksincovid.gov.my, reported that the vaccination rate in Penang was 13.91%.

The state government will continue to mobilise its resources to get the people of Penang to be vaccinated, he added. – Bernama