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KUALA LUMPUR – As the arrival of the first batch of Covid-19 vaccines to Malaysia approaches, Abdullah Salleh is on two minds about receiving an immunization vaccine.
Despite being in favor of vaccines, the 37-year-old cameraman said he is hesitant to take an injection due to the possibility of experiencing a fatal adverse reaction as he is allergic to certain medications.
“In fact, I am concerned because I am allergic to Augmentin-based drugs. I hope the substance is not included in the vaccine,” he said. Augmentin is an antibiotic that is used to treat bacterial infections.
“Right now, I’m honestly not sure if I should get it or not. I’ve been reading a lot about the vaccines available, but my near-death experience due to my allergy has made me very skeptical,” he said. .
Abdullah is among 17 percent of those surveyed in a Health Ministry survey who are unsure about the vaccine, with more than 83 percent of them expressing fear of possible side effects.
The survey, which was conducted online between December 21 and 28, was conducted to assess Malaysians’ interest in receiving the Covid-19 vaccine.
People have questioned the vaccine, some claiming that it may contain porcine elements and others questioning the reliability of the manufacturers.
Up to 78 percent of those in the uncertain group were also less confident that the vaccines would work, while 71 percent believed their use would not be safe.
Meanwhile, about 16 percent of those surveyed said they would not agree to being vaccinated. Of this group, more than 96 percent said that side effects were the main reason for opposing vaccination, while about 85 percent were suspicious of its ingredients.
Based on the result, which was released Thursday, only 67 percent of the total 212,006 people in the sample said they would accept the Covid-19 vaccine.
Health analyst Heikal Rosnan, director of Bower Group Asia, said he understood the public’s concerns, but noted that what governments have done is help speed up the vaccine manufacturing process, compressing it from possibly more than a decade, without take shortcuts.
He added: “More importantly, the Ministry of Health has stated that each Covid-19 vaccine will have to go through five phases of testing and trials before it can be approved for use in Malaysia. There will be setbacks given the unprecedented nature of this vaccine. pandemic”. But overall, the country’s vaccination record is strong. “
However, Ms S. Kalamathy, 41, plans to reject any Russian or Chinese-made vaccines. “I just don’t trust them,” said the administrative legal assistant.
Mr. Heikal said that people may distrust the governments of Russia and China rather than the vaccine itself, and have less confidence in their approval processes, which are not as transparent and strict as in the United States and Europe.
“Ultimately, however, if it works, then it works, but Malaysia can take a wait-and-see approach, compared to American vaccines,” he said.
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