“The final aim in getting everyone vaccinated is to build herd immunity within communities all over the country. Reaching herd immunity against COVID-19 is arguably our greatest challenge. We must collectively work together – the public and private sectors, communities, families and individuals – to achieve this goal. Without this, we will continue to see wave after wave of the coronavirus devastating effects.”

PENANG, 25 February 2021 – With the recent arrival of the first batch of COVID-19 vaccines, the time has come for Malaysians to get a ‘taste’ of the medicine.  

Prior to that, Malaysians have had to endure the lengthy Movement Control Order (MCO) phase(s) implemented by the government; no fault of theirs, but it was more on curbing the pandemic from further spreading. 

In keeping up with the initiative by the government to provide vaccination to the masses, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) will be allocating vaccines to its community members beginning with the staff.

Hospital USM in Kubang Kerian, Kelantan has been identified as one of the 605 locations to be used as vaccination centres nationwide for the National COVID-19 Immunisation Programme which is already underway.

First on the University’s list to receive the vaccines will be the frontliners, most of them serving at Hospital USM and the Health Campus in Kubang Kerian, with the rest at the USM Main Campus on Penang island and the Advanced Medical and Dental Institute (IPPT) in Bertam, Penang mainland. 

According to the Hospital USM Director who is also the USM Health Campus Director, Professor Dato’ Dr. Ahmad Sukari Halim, we (USM) are all ready and looking forward to collaborate with the local health authorities (Kelantan State Health Department) in carrying out the immunisation programme.

“The Hospital USM Deputy Director of Operations, Professor Dr. Mohd Imran Yusof, who will be coordinating the programme in the Health Campus and the Secretariat are working hard to ensure that everything runs smoothly throughout the entire vaccination process,” he said.

Noting the importance of the vaccine in combating the pandemic, he added, “The final aim in getting everyone vaccinated is to build herd immunity within communities all over the country. Reaching herd immunity against COVID-19 is arguably our greatest challenge. We must collectively work together – the public and private sectors, communities, families and individuals – to achieve this goal. Without this, we will continue to see wave after wave of the coronavirus devastating effects.”

Sukari added that the First Phase of the vaccination programme at Hospital USM will begin on 1 March 2021 at the Dewan Utama. Those who have been notified will be advised to take all the necessary actions. The sessions will be available from Monday until Thursday, 9.00 am-5.00 pm.” 

According to the National COVID-19 Immunisation Programme Handbook published by Special Committee for Ensuring Access to COVID-19 Vaccine Supply (JKJAV) co-chaired by the Minister of Health and the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, vaccines will be provided free of charge to Malaysians and non-Malaysians aged 18 and above.

Getting the vaccination is a voluntary option, although it is one that is highly recommended so that Malaysia can achieve its targeted herd/population immunity.

The approach by the Government is to ensure that at least 80% of Malaysia’s adult population receives vaccines by February 2022 to reduce infections, hospitalisations and death.

The National COVID-19 Immunisation Programme is implemented in three phases starting from 24 February 2021, with the first phase from February to April 2021 for the frontliners involving 500,000 people.

The second phase, from April to August, will involve senior citizens aged 65 and above, the high-risk groups, and the disabled involving some 9.4 million people, while the third phase will start from May this year to February 2022, covering both Malaysians and non-citizens aged 18 and above, targeting more than 13.7 million people.

As of February 2021, Malaysia has secured 66.7 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines through the COVAX Facility and advance purchases from five vaccine manufacturers.

The vaccines will be received in stages by Malaysia, whereby the first batch of 312,390 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine has safely arrived in Malaysia on 21 February 2021, while the second batch consisting of 182,520 doses of the same vaccine was received on 24 February 2021.

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Text: Mazlan Hanafi Basharudin & Tan Ewe Hoe/Photo: Ebrahim Abdul Manan