In areas of high community transmission, vaccinated people should mask indoors to protect themselves from even mild breakthrough.
– Monica Gandhi, Professor of Medicine, University of California
“Before vaccine, pray and after vaccine, pray.” I came across this wise advice on YouTube and earnestly followed it when I went for my Pfizer booster shot against Covid-19 recently.
Before the vaccination, I prayed that everything would proceed smoothly at the vaccination centre. After the vaccination, I prayed that I would not suffer from any terrible side effects.
On Oct 21, 2021 Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin announced that fully vaccinated Sinovac recipients would get booster shots of Pfizer vaccine from Oct 22.
He urged those who had received their appointment dates to go and take the jab as it would strengthen their immunity and protection against Covid-19.
Khairy also said that around 40 per cent of people getting their vaccine booster appointment dates under the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (PICK) were not showing up for the jab.
I received my Pfizer booster shot on Nov 7 and was asked a few days before that, through MySejahtera, to confirm my noon appointment at the MBKS Indoor Stadium at Bintawa.
I completed my two-dose Sinovac vaccination against Covid-19 more than three months ago and received my appointment through the MySejahtera application.
The Health Ministry started giving out booster shots first to those above 40 years old and those who had comorbidities under the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme.
Before I received my appointment, a few people I knew in Kuching and Sibu —all Sinovac recipients — had rejected the Pfizer booster shot. They were worried about the “mix & match” or heterologous vaccination and preferred a Sinovac booster shot.
Kuching MP Dr Kelvin Yii said in a statement that he had received many calls from his constituents who were worried about getting the Pfizer booster shot.
But he assured the public that studies from different countries including Germany, Spain, Sweden and Taiwan pointed to the advantage of heterologous vaccination in increasing antibody levels.
Yii said a study on mixing Sinovac with Pfizer by Thailand had also shown promising results.
“These two Thai studies showed higher neutralising antibody levels against the Delta variant with a Pfizer booster for recipients double-vaccinated with Sinovac compared to an AstraZeneca booster,” he added.
Although he understood the concerns expressed by citizens, Yii urged them to consider the benefits and extra protection provided by the Pfizer booster shot.
The MP also urged the government to increase materials to educate and share the benefits of vaccination to the public to remove the high level of hesitancy on heterologous vaccination.
He pointed out that it was vital for the government to do so otherwise the people would end up reading unverified news which might spread half-truths and even lies on vaccination.
Recently, Bukit Assek incumbent assemblywoman Irene Chang questioned the availability of Sinovac booster vaccines in Sabah but not in Sarawak.
Like Yii, she must have received many calls from her constituents who had been double-vaccinated with Sinovac and were worried about the Pfizer booster shot.
In replying to Chang, State Health Department (JKNS) deputy director (Public Health) Dr Rosemawati Ariffin, said in a statement, that administration of booster doses throughout Sarawak was in accordance with the Health Ministry’s latest policy,
In line with the policy, only the Pfizer-BioNTech (Comirnaty) vaccine was allowed as a booster dose to recipients of Pfizer-BioNTech or Sinovac primer doses.
Rosemawati, however, added that the Sinovac vaccine was only used as a booster dose in certain circumstances, such as if the recipient of the vaccine had contraindications or allergies to the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.
Meanwhile, back to my booster shot story, I received many phone calls and messages from worried friends and members of the family a few days before I went for the jab.
“Are you really going for the Pfizer booster shot? Is it safe to mix and match?”
But I was determined to go for the Pfizer booster shot. A Catholic priest I knew by sight and a minister had died of Covid-19 even though they had been fully vaccinated.
Have the antibodies from my Sinovac’s Covid-19 shot faded yet? I don’t know but I certainly welcome all the extra protection I can get against the scary virus.
I also honestly believe God decides the time and place of death for each of us.
As one of my good friends once said to me, “If it’s time for you to go, it’s time to go. Just pray for God’s protection.”
So I followed the advice I saw on YouTube. I prayed before my Pfizer shot and I prayed after it.
I was indeed blessed. The only effects I experienced after the booster shot was a sore arm on the site of injection. I took some Panadol to ease my discomfort.
My friends, I urge those of you who are eligible for the Pfizer booster shot to go for it.
Consider the benefits and the extra protection it provides.
