‘Follow SOP even after jab’

PETALING JAYA: As the national immunisation programme to battle Covid-19 enters its second week, health experts say those who have been vaccinated still need to observe the standard operating procedure to protect the community in general.

As of March 11, a total of 249,909 jabs have been administered, mostly to frontliners.

The government targets herd immunity with 80% of the population vaccinated by next February.

Malaysian Medical Association president Datuk Dr Subramaniam Muniandy said those vaccinated would still need to observe the SOP such as wearing face masks, practising physical distancing and sanitising their hands to protect others who have yet to be vaccinated.

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Such measures were necessary because it has yet to be established how effective each of the vaccines would be against any new mutations of Covid-19.

“We will also likely require booster jabs to protect against new mutations. For now, we can assume that observing the SOP is needed until the pandemic is declared over or if a cure is available, ” he said.

Medical Practitioners Coalition Association of Malaysia president Dr Raj Kumar Maharajah concurred, saying “there are several unknowns which make wearing a face mask and social distancing important to protect the community”.

“Only a handful of vaccines can claim to give complete protection.

“This may seem counterintuitive but vaccinated people may still transmit the virus, even if they do not display the symptoms, ” he said.

However, Dr Raj said whether one still needed to follow the SOP after herd immunity was achieved was still “too early to tell”.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in its updated guidelines, states that those who have been fully vaccinated can attend indoor gatherings with other fully vaccinated people without wearing face masks.

The guidelines say that those fully vaccinated do not need to stay away from others or get tested for the virus even though they have been around someone who has the virus, unless they develop symptoms.

But the CDC adds that if a person lives in a group setting and is around persons who have the virus, they should stay away from others for 14 days and get tested, even if they do not develop symptoms.

Universiti Malaya epidemiologist Prof Datuk Dr Awang Bulgiba Awang Mahmud, who heads the Independent Covid-19 Vaccination Advisory Committee, said the SOP needed to remain in place while the vaccination programme was ongoing until infection levels became very low.

“This is to buy time while herd immunity is being built.

“It takes time for individuals to build up sufficient immunity to resist the virus as many of these vaccines require two doses and it takes a few weeks for the body to respond adequately after each dose.

“It will be prudent not to rush to lift all travel restrictions too soon, ” he said.

Even if herd immunity is achieved, Prof Awang Bulgiba proposed easing the SOP gradually, instead of lifting it at one go.

“We need to establish through epidemiological studies that herd immunity is building up and that it is sustainable.

“Once herd immunity has been established, the SOP can be eased gradually and we can return to pre-pandemic norms, ” Prof Awang Bulgiba said.

He also recommended that the government set up a Voluntary Vaccination Registry to follow up on 50,000 people who have been vaccinated for two years, citing a case in Brazil where a resurgence of cases was seen.