Covid-19: Vaccine recipients reminded not to crowd immunisation centres, show up too early

KLANG: Those going to receive their Covid-19 vaccines are reminded not to crowd the vaccination centers, says Dr Siti Mariah Mahmud.

The Selangor Public Health Committee chairman said people must also come at the time stipulated for their appointments and not earlier.

She was referring to a recent incident where a big group of people was seen crowding the vaccination center at the Sunway Pyramid Convention Centre.

The incident was circulated over social media by a person who was there at the time of the incident.

Dr Siti Mariah said she had checked on the overcrowding with the Selangor Covid-19 Operations Room.

“People had started arriving too early. Some of those who were supposed to be there at 5.00pm started arriving as early as noon. And since the recipients were primarily senior citizens, most had one person accompanying and there were also others who had up to three people coming with them, ’’ Dr Siti Mariah added.

Because of the overcrowding, the people were asked to move to an upper floor but some refused to take instructions from Rela members as well as non-uniformed volunteers stationed there, she said.

Given this, added Dr Siti Mariah, military personnel had been deployed to maintain the crowd and the situation has been under control since.

Infectious disease expert Prof Dr Zamberi Sekawi said crowding the vaccination centres defeats the purpose of the exercise as well as interferes with the need for physical distancing.

“Some of those coming there may be Covid-19 positive but asymptomatic, and they can spread the virus to others due to the close proximity of people there," he said.

He added that there could also be the spread of other respiratory problems other than Covid-19 which could become detrimental to the health of those getting vaccinated.