People are not taking vaccines in the hope that everyone else would be vaccinated and they would be safe.
– Vineet Raj Kapoor, author and poet
Have you registered for the Covid-19 vaccination? This is the most commonly asked question Malaysians ask each other ever since the first shipment of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine arrived in Malaysia on Feb 21, 2021.
A total of 312,390 doses of the vaccine were flown in as the first shipment to Malaysia. Friends and colleagues are asking me this question almost daily.
Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg was the first in Sarawak to receive the vaccine on Feb 26. He had his first dose at Petra Jaya Health Clinic, spearheading the first phase of the Sarawak Covid-19 vaccination programme.
The National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme officially began in Kuala Lumpur on Feb 25 with Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin as the first person in the country to receive the jab.
The first phase of the programme, which lasts until April, involves the frontliners while the second phase, in April until August, is for the high risk-groups. The third phase, from May this year until Feb next year, is for those aged 18 and above.
So far, only the Pfizer vaccine is being used in both the national and state immunisation programmes. Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin has revealed other vaccines are going through the regulatory process with the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA) and that they might be added in Phase 1 of the immunisation programme.
However, Abang Johari said that Sarawak would continue to use the Pfizer vaccine throughout the seven months of the state’s immunisation programme.
He clarified that the use of other vaccines such as the Sinovac vaccine from China would be considered only if Malaysia’s regulatory bodies such as the Health Ministry approved them.
Sarawak, which has a population of 2.8 million, aims to vaccinate 2.2 million Sarawakians and non-Sarawakians aged 18 and above residing in the state, to achieve herd immunity.
However, only suitable persons will be vaccinated and even then, they will be monitored for 15 to 20 minutes before they are allowed to leave for fear of serious allergic reactions.
Allergy and medical history of individuals will be screened for suitability prior to receiving the vaccine. Those not suitable will not be given the jab.
The prime minister has said that the vaccine might have mild side effects such as swelling at the injection site but this would heal on its own.
Pregnant and breastfeeding mothers are also advised to defer taking the vaccine to avoid any possible side effects.
In giving this advice, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) Medical Microbiology lecturer Associate Professor Dr Niazlin Mohd Taib pointed out that currently, there was no clinical evidence to support the use of the vaccine among the group.
“Pregnant mothers should not take a live virus vaccine and the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is a messenger ribonucleic (mRNA) vaccine that does not use the live virus.
“Although there should be no problem for pregnant and breastfeeding women to get the vaccine, there is no clear data on the use of Covid-19 vaccine in pregnancy. It would be better to wait first,” she explained recently.
Some people hesitate to register for the Covid-19 vaccination now because they prefer other vaccines.
Khairy has opted out of the Pfizer vaccine and will take whatever vaccine NPRA approves next.
He will be the first person to receive the jab for the next Covid-19 vaccine approved for the country in a bid to combat “selective vaccine hesitancy”.
Khairy said he wanted to encourage people to receive whatever Covid-19 vaccine that was offered to them and not to be hesitant towards certain vaccines.
Some people may not have registered for the vaccination simply because of their fear of needles.
What did the chief minister and prime minister say after receiving their first Covid-19 jabs?
Well, Abang Johari remarked that the jab felt like an ant bite.
As for Muhyiddin, he said, “I did not feel anything at all. It was all over before I realised it; just like a normal injection. Don’t worry, come forward anytime.”
Do you know that in future, you may need a vaccine passport to travel to other countries?
Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba has revealed that the Malaysian government plans to issue Covid-19 passports as verification for individuals who have received the vaccine.
He said the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry (Mosti) were in the midst of refining the plan.
So, my friends, what are you waiting for if you plan to travel to other countries and even other Malaysian states in future?
If you have not registered for the jab, do it now. You can do so through the MySejahtera app on your smartphone or go to the nearest district office or register through your community leader or village security and development committee (JKKK).
Until next week, stay safe.
