For some, AstraZeneca a ticket out of Covid-19, back to normal
For 25-year-old fresh graduate Ariani, getting the first shot of the AstraZeneca vaccine today meant one step towards going back to a normal working life.
Leaving university just as the first movement control order (MCO) hit last year, she spent almost half a year job-hunting before landing her current research assistant position.
“It was so hard to find a job. I was unemployed for five months before I found a permanent job. I was quite affected.
“(Since then) I have had experience working from home and working on-station. For me, I want to go back to normalcy and working on-station.
“I rather go to the office than work from home because it is different,” she told Malaysiakini when met after getting her first jab at the World Trade Centre vaccine dispensing centre (PPV) in Kuala Lumpur today.
For Kong Wooi Hon, before the ...
The recently much praised KJ for his role in the provision of the AstraZeneca (AZ) vaccine to opt-in volunteers, now says that there maybe insufficient vaccine for commencement of Phase 3 of the vaccination programme. The AZ vaccine was initially meant for those in Phase 2 who are aged 60 years and above. This is rightly so, as the reports of blood clots after vaccination was lowest in those above 60 years of age. But for reasons which have been mentioned widely in the media, a U-turn was made; thus depriving those aged 60 years and above (the target group) from getting the AZ vaccine on time, especially those not in Selangor and the KL area. The majority who turned out for the first day of this opt-in programme was of the younger age group. Instead it appears that the AZ vaccine has been taken up mainly by the younger ones, even in Selangor and KL. This redeployment of the AZ vaccine to this less vulnerable groups will obviously result in shortage of vaccines for those in Phase 2, the vulnerable ones, those above age 60 years and those with co-morbidities. Will all the AZ vaccine be used for this opt-in Phase 4 programme? 1.1 million doses will be coming in soon this May and another 610K doses in June and another 410K doses in July. If so, this will screw up the original aims of the vaccination programme, which is to get the more vulnerable vaccinated first! What is it going to take to get this PN gomen to get things right? The vulnerable ones should rightly protest. It must also be noted that the interval between the first and second dose of the AZ vaccine is not 3 weeks but 12 weeks. So between the Pfizer and AZ vaccine, if 2 individuals are given their first doses, the one getting the Pfizer vaccine will complete his/her vaccination 9 weeks earlier. It must also be noted that having completed one's Covid-19 vaccination, immunity is not conferred but one is prevented from serious Covid-19 disease, if infected. And if a vaccinated one is infected, there is no certainty that he/she won't infected another. These are the reality of Covid-19 vaccination, presently. There are many cases reported in the media of those who have completed their vaccination, got infected and succumbed to Covid-19. So upon completing the vaccination process, it is still necessary to observe the 3Cs and the 3Ws. <><>
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