💉The COVID-19 vaccination programme in Malaysia 🇲🇾
▪️The purpose of this approach is to curb🚫 the spread of COVID-19🦠 by first achieving herd immunity among those who are fit to be vaccinated💉.
▪️Started rolling early this year on 24 February 2021📅.
❓Yet, there is still a number of individuals who have not yet registered for it.☹️ Now, the lingering question is 'What causes them to have a second thought about this?'.🧐 Could it be due to the lack of understanding regarding which groups of people are eligible/safe for COVID-19 vaccination? 🤷♂️🤷♀️
🗣Today, we are here to clear the doubts on this topic! 💢
👉 To learn more, scroll down and look through these infographics.
If I’m sick🤒, can I vaccinate?
- When someone gets sick (including common cold and fever)🤒, it means that the body has been infected by bacteria or viruses, which in turn causes the immune system to be in a stressed-out state. Since the immune system is already busy fighting out germs🦠, this could render the vaccine from working at its best.
- Another concern would be the vaccine dose may add to the severity of the illness and it could be difficult to distinguish the original illness itself from that of the post-vaccine reactions.
- Hence, JKJAV advises waiting for at least two weeks after recovery of the acute illness.
If I have just received a shot of another vaccine💉, can I vaccinate?
- It is advisable to leave a gap of two weeks between the Covid-19 vaccine and other types of immunizations.
- This is because it would ease the safety and monitoring for both vaccinations💉💉. In that way, if the receiver experiences common side effects, it would be clear which one is the causative vaccine.
If I am allergic🤧 to certain food or medications, can I vaccinate?
- For those who suffer mild allergy reactions (rashes, itchiness, swelling) from other medications, food, or insect bites, they can still receive the Covid-19 vaccine with a typical 15-minute observation period post-injection.
- Should there be any side effect, one can report this via MySejahtera application. Here is how you do it📱
If I was previously infected by Covid-19, can I vaccinate?
- The body’s natural antibodies which built up after Covid-19 infection will wane over time.
- Hence, individuals who have previously been infected are still encouraged to receive the vaccine but wait for a period of 3-6months after recovery.
My children🧒🏽 need to attend high school and are highly exposed to other children in a confined space. Can they vaccinate too?
- Good news! Recently on 15/6/21, Malaysia’s National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA) has approved Pfizer-BioNTech’s Covid-19 vaccine for use in children aged 12 years and above.
- However, our Ministry of Health (MoH) is of the view that vaccination priority should still be for high-risk groups. So, do not panic. Just sit back, relax and wait for your turn.
If I am a HIV patient, can I vaccinate?
- Stable HIV patients are strongly advised for Covid-19 vaccination. In fact, HIV puts this group of people at an elevated risk for severe Covid-19 as they have a weakened immune system and harder to fight against the infection.
- Stable HIV patients are defined as those who are receiving treatment for at least 1 year with no adverse drug reactions requiring regular monitoring and no current illnesses or pregnancy.
If I am breastfeeding🍼 my baby👶, can I vaccinate?
- According to the theory on how these vaccines work in the body, COVID-19 vaccines are thought not to pose risk to lactating mothers or their breastfeeding babies. In fact, recent reports have shown that breastfeeding people who have received COVID-19 mRNA vaccines have antibodies in their breastmilk, which could help protect their babies👶. However, more data are needed to determine what protection these antibodies may provide to the baby.
- So far in Malaysia, Pfizer, AstraZeneca, and Sinovac brands are approved for use in breastfeeding women (as of 25th June 2021).
If I am currently pregnant 🤰🏼, can I vaccinate?
- Pregnant people are more likely to get severely ill with COVID-19 compared with non-pregnant people but the overall risk of severe illness is low.
- Based on JKJAV Malaysia, it is safe for pregnant women between 14-33 weeks of pregnancy🤰🏼 to take Pfizer-BioNTech’s, AstraZeneca, and Sinovac Covid-19 vaccines (as of 25th June 2021).
If I had severe allergic reactions😖 towards other medications or food before, can I vaccinate?
- An allergic reaction is considered severe when the patient needs to be treated with epinephrine or has to be sent to the hospital immediately.
- This includes anaphylaxis which is a life-threatening type of allergy (trouble breathing, low blood pressure, low pulse rate) and typically occurs within 30 minutes of exposure.
- If a person had an anaphylaxis reaction after taking the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine or other vaccines/medications/food, he or she should not be vaccinated.
If I have an ongoing Covid-19 infection, can I vaccinate?
- As stated previously, those who are currently infected by Covid-19, are not encouraged to take the vaccination during or right after Covid-19 infection.
- It is better to wait for at least 3-6 months after recovery.
If I have a compromised/weakened immune system, can I vaccinate?
- People who are immunocompromised are those who were born without a functioning immune system or with a "faulty" one. Additionally, it also means those who have been immunosuppressed due to a disease or treatment for a disease. This includes people with cancers or autoimmune conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis or lupus; or those who have received organ transplants.
- Since it is not advisable for this group of people to receive the Covid-19 vaccine, doctors generally advise them to continue to adhere strictly to other preventive measures, such as limiting their time in crowds, regular hand washing and mask-wearing😷, and social distancing.
📌Think you belong to the categories that are safe for COVID-19 vaccination?
Register now🧡
#lindungidirilindungisemua
Prepared by: Chew Ee Wei, a HTM Pharmacist.
For further inquiry/ one-to-one consultation with our pharmacist, feel free to whatsapp📱
Pharmacist service is available from Monday to Friday (9am-6pm).