What Do People Who Have Received the COVID-19 Vaccine Say?

Malaysia has signed an MoU agreement with China to strengthen their COVID-19 vaccine supplies to fight against the ongoing pandemic. Many other countries have already had a head start in regards to this, with the ongoing deliveries of vaccines happening worldwide. 

The Malaysian government is currently in the process of implementing the COVID-19 immunization program, prioritizing high risks groups that are the most vulnerable to the disease before moving onto those who are at less risk. This is due to the limited vaccine supply available in the country. 

Who Needs Vaccines?

It is the general consensus that those not suffering from any severe health problems or allergies to the vaccine content should get the vaccine as soon as possible. This is to curb the rampant spread of Corona virus and prevent further infections. However, due to the limited supply, high risk groups are prioritized in receiving the vaccine first.  

High-risk groups include:

1. Frontliners:

• Doctors

• Nurses

• Police officers

• Soldiers

• Health officers

  

2. Elder citizens

3. Patients suffering from chronic illnesses or Non-Communicable Disease (NCD), such as those with cardiovascular diseases, pancreatic diseases, respiratory problems, and others.

Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has given his assurance that the COVID-19 vaccine will only be given to the community after it is approved by National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Division (NPRA). The Ministry of Health Malaysia (MOH) and the government will ensure the vaccine's safety and efficacy before it is available to the public.

The Prime Minister also refuted allegations that the first group to receive the COVID-19 vaccine will be experimental subjects to assess the effectiveness of the vaccine. In addition, continuous monitoring will be done by NPRA on all recipients of the vaccine to assess the level of safety and its effectiveness.

Conditions To Receive The COVID-19 Vaccine

Several conditions have been set to prevent any possible harm as we kick-start the vaccination program. The following are some of the conditions that a person must meet to receive the COVID-19 vaccine:

• Not a former COVID-19 patient

• Not suffering from chronic disease

• Not pregnant and not breastfeeding

• Not a close contact

• Normal body temperature (below 37.5 degrees Celsius)

• Normal blood pressure

• Aged 16 or 18 years and above depending on the type of vaccine

• Do not have allergies or allergies to the vaccine content

• Do not have immunity problems

  

What Do Those Who Have Received the COVID-19 Vaccine Say?

To date, the number of vaccine recipients has reached more than a million people worldwide. Apart from the frontliners and the general public, there are many big names, national leaders, and celebrities around the world who have already received the COVID-19 vaccine.

1. 78-year-old Joe Biden, the newly appointed President of the United States, received his second injection of the COVID-19 vaccine at the Christiana Hospital in Newark.

In a speech, he stated that vaccination will be the number one priority of his administration, ensuring that every citizen of the country gets the vaccine as soon as possible. This is relevant as the country is among the most severely affected by COVID-19, with an average death rate of 3000 people per day. It is estimated that more than 25 million first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been distributed to clinics, hospitals and nursing homes across the country.

2. Sandra Lindsay, a nurse at the Long Island Jewish Medical Center, USA, was the first individual in the country to receive a Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, with the event broadcasted live on television. According to Sandra Lindsay, she does not feel that taking the COVID-19 vaccine is different from other vaccine injections. She also advised the public to also receive the vaccine injection.

3. The President of Indonesia, Joko Widodo, was the first person to receive the COVID-19 vaccine in his country. He recounted his experience of being injected with the Coronavirus vaccine by saying he did not feel pain when injected. Apart from that, he also hopes that his country is ready to be vaccinated like him. The vaccine will be given free of charge to Indonesians in stages.

Other notable public figures in Indonesia have also received the vaccine. They include Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin, Chief of Police General Idham Azis, TNI Commander Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto and actor Raffi Ahmad.

4. Israeli President Netanyahu, 71, has received the COVID-19 vaccine to launch its national vaccine production. He received the vaccine along with Israeli Health Minister Yuli Edelstein as a personal example to encourage the public to also get vaccinated. The injection was broadcasted live on television at the Sheba Medical Center in Ramat Gan, near Tel Aviv.

5. Actress and former member of the Elite group, Sasha Saidin, and her husband Sirhan Wahab has received the second COVID-19 injection in Dubai. According to Sasha, the nurse said the second injection was lighter than the first injection in terms of dosage. Sasha also said that after taking the first injection, there are a few side effects such as fever, allergies and others, but the side effects of the second dose are milder.

6. Malaysian doctors who work abroad have also received this vaccine. Dr Amalina Che Bakri, who is on duty in the UK, is one of them. She informed Malaysians that the vaccine injection was the same as other vaccine injections. comparing the pain of the needle to that of an ant bite. Dr. Amalina also shared other facts about the vaccine in her post on social media.

 Conclusion

Through sharing the stories of notable public figures, it is vital that people realize the importance of receiving the COVID-19 vaccine to curb the spread of the corona virus as well as protecting those who are vulnerable to the disease.

According to the Minister of Health, Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba, every individual in the country will receive two doses of vaccine to ensure full protection from the virus. Those who receive the vaccine need to keep the card that will be given when they are first injected to ensure that those who have been vaccinated get a second dose according to a set date, usually within a range of 21 days. In addition, it is also emphasized that vaccine recipients still need to adopt new norms to ensure optimal protection.

Therefore, let us all appreciate the efforts of the Malaysian government and healthcare workers as well as other frontliners in ensuring that we can overcome the COVID-19 pandemic by receiving the COVID-19 vaccine injections when it is available and fully adopting the new norms.

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