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Allaying inoculation fears

PETALING JAYA: While Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin was the first in the country to receive the Covid-19 vaccine yesterday, some Malaysians abroad have also received their jabs and have urged others to do likewise.

Nurul Ashikin Jamaludin, a lab chemist in Singapore, shared her experience with theSun after completing her vaccination process.

The 27-year-old from Seremban said she received her first dose on Jan 18 and the second dose was administered on Feb 18 at the Raffles City Convention Centre.

“Before the vaccine is administered, there will be a screening process at the vaccination centre to determine if any worker falls into categories of people who should not receive the vaccine yet.”

“Then, after the confirmation of status (categories), they gave us a vaccination card and info sheet to inform us of the possible side effects.

“We waited at the waiting area about 30 minutes after receiving the first dose. This is for them to observe if there are any immediate side effects. If nothing happens, we can leave.”

Initially, Nurul Ashikin was worried as she had heard numerous rumours about the vaccines.

To add fuel to the fire, her own family was distressed, knowing that their daughter who was alone in another country will be the first few Malaysians in Singapore to get the vaccine.

Her family warned her that it was dangerous. Some said it contained microchips to detect a person’s whereabouts, and the ingredients in the vaccines were not halal.

“I started to Google and read all the news and articles about the vaccine, the ingredients and how it works. That made me confident to receive the doses.

“I then convinced my family that nothing bad would happen to me after getting the doses. It was understandable since my family lives in a rural area and they were not exposed to information about the vaccine and only listened to what others were saying.

“I told them that the vaccine was safe. They were relieved and were also convinced to take the vaccines.”

She said there were some side effects after her second dose.

“The first dose was okay as there was no pain at all, just the normal swelling at the injection site that healed a day later. But the second dose, as I was told, was quite strong compared with the first one. Therefore, it was expected that I experience pain right after the injection,” she said.

“Later at night, I had a fever and chills but it was just a temporary symptom which was normal. After I took some paracetamol, I felt much better. When I woke up the next morning, I was okay.

“It’s safe to take the Pfizer vaccine. Please take the vaccine to protect yourself from Covid and also protect your family and friends.”

Another Malaysian also spoke about her experience of getting vaccinated in India last Saturday.

Dr Wani (@syazwanismd) tweeted on Tuesday that she received Covishield (viral vector) vaccine by AstraZeneca and when she received the first dose on her left arm, she did not feel any pain at all.

But she experienced temporary side effects which included dizziness, fatigue, muscle aches and fever, which was common after receiving the vaccine.

“These symptoms are completely normal since our body is producing new antibodies and strengthening our immune system. I felt better later that night and after resting the whole day on Sunday, I had recovered.”

Wani suggested that those getting the vaccine get some rest, drink plenty of water and sleep early to ensure that the body produces enough melatonin.

She advised Malaysians not to be sceptical of the Covid-19 vaccine and reminded them that the side effects are only temporary.

Source: TheSunDaily