KUCHING: Some 26.5 million Malaysians are expected to receive the free Covid-19 vaccine by the end of the month.
Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin stated that the vaccine is a crucial in the fight against Covid-19, with the first batches from Pfizer and BioNTech to arrive soon.
The National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme would be carried out in three phases with the first involving a total of 500,000 medical and non-medical frontliners which will be completed in April, while the second phase will be catered to the elderly, disabled, and those with underlying health conditions from April to August.
The third and final phase will see citizens aged 18 and above receiving their doses from May to February next year.
The New Sarawak Tribune asked some members of the public on their opinions pertaining to this matter.
Many applauded the move by the government to administer the vaccine for free as it would greatly benefit those from the low income group.
However, some questioned the credibility of the vaccine due to it being developed in a short time, while some were concerned that giving out free vaccines would financially hurt the government.
But all those interviewed were aware of the vaccine’s role of keeping Covid-19 at bay, and hoped that it would help the country to recover economically.
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HAKEEM IQMAL (Student)
I think it is the right thing to do although I am sceptical about the vaccine’s credibility. It takes years to develop a vaccine and the fact that this vaccine was developed so quickly makes me question it.
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SAFWAN SAIFULLAH (Self-employed)
This is a great opportunity for the people as it will greatly benefit those from the low income group whose economic states are affected by the pandemic. I hope that the vaccine can be administered to everyone in the country, especially in rural areas, for maximum protection.
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MOHD IZZUL (Self-employed)
It is good that the vaccine will be administered for free, as the less fortunate would greatly benefit from it. However, I believe that most citizens would only take the vaccine after it is properly studied and accredited by the government.
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NUR MOHAMMED FAIZ (Waiter)
In my point of view, although the vaccine will be free for all, it would hurt the government financially. However, I truly believe that the government has a backup plan for this kind of situation.
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MUHAMMAD FARHAN ABDULRAHMAN
It is good that the government will give out the vaccine for free. Hopefully it can ward off the virus. I just hope that what the government has decided will produce a good outcome.
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ABDUL RAHMAN AMRAN (Health planner)
It is a great measure to give free vaccines as due to the pandemic, most people have lost jobs and cannot afford to pay for it. Everyone should get the vaccine as it is the only way to protect us from the virus.
