SHAH ALAM: In an effort to work hand-in-hand with its federal counterpart, the Selangor state government will loan 500,000 doses of Covid-19 vaccine to the Covid-19 Immunisation Task Force (CITF).

       In announcing this on Thursday (Aug 19), Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari said he had contacted Health Director-General Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah to discuss the collaboration following Thursday’s (Aug 19) whopping 22,948 cases.

       "Given the situation, Selangor has agreed to loan the 500,000 doses which were bought to be used by SelVAC (the state's community and industry mass vaccination initiative) to the CITF to be used in states which has a drastic increase in cases but low in vaccination rates," said Amirudin.

       According to Amirudin, the CITF will return the borrowed 500,000 doses at a later date for the state to prepare to administer a possible booster dose.

       Amirudin said that during discussions with Dr Noor Hisham, he learnt there was a probability that vaccine recipients may get a third booster dose next year.

       He also added, however, there was no indication from experts as yet if this was necessary, and if a third shot was needed to be administered, the World Health Organisation should first give the green light.

       Amirudin also said that 98% of Selangor residents have received their first doses.

       "This is from the data coordination of the number of Selangor residents that were vaccinated at the vaccination centres in Selangor, as well as those vaccinated at centres such as Kuala Lumpur," said Amirudin.

       In an immediate response, Dr Noor Hisham tweeted his appreciation to Amirudin and the state government, adding that caring and helping other states that were in need of vaccines was excellent practice in the wake of the impending National Day.

       On another matter, Amirudin said the Selangor government was preparing to have its state legislative assembly sitting, which will start off with Selangor Ruler Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah's opening speech on Aug 23.

       Media practitioners covering the state legislative assembly were all summoned to the state-owned clinic Selcare today and screened for Covid-19.