The government has assured that all adults in the country will be fully vaccinated by October.

Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said this is due to the ecceleration of the National Immunization Programme (NIP), following the sharp increase in positive COVID-19 cases, and the discovery of more aggressive variants of the virus.

According to the premier, 100 per cent of all adult population in Selangor, and Kuala Lumpur, will be administered at least one dose of the vaccine by Aug 1, while the adult population in Sarawak will receive at least one jab by the end of August.

By September, all states will have an over 70 per cent innoculation rate, before the 100 per cent mark is achieved in October, the New Straits quoted Muhyiddin saying on Facebook yesterday.

The initial national vaccination programme was supposed to see 80 percent of the country's population receive their complete dose of vaccine by the first quarter of next year. This was then speeded up to December this year, before it was moved yet again due to the rise in the number of cases of late, as well as the discovery of the highlt transmissible Delta variant of the virus.

As of Saturday (July 17) midnight, a total of 14 million COVID-19 vaccines had been administered, nationwide. This includes the first and second dose.

Vaccination is seen as a crucial way to mitigate the carnage caused by the virus in the country, and the world over.

To date, a total of 916,561 people have been infected by COVID-19, while 7,019 people have died from it.

The global COVID-19 infection and death tally has surpassed 19.1 million, and 4.1 million, respectively.


Source: NST
Photo source: Astro Awani