Many breathing sigh of relief

Doing their part: (Clockwise from top left) Rusmala, Lim, Mohd Nashrul Shafiq and Khoo posing for photos after receiving their first dose. They have just received the date of their second jab.

PETALING JAYA: For many Malaysians, they are relieved to have received the appointment dates for their second dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine in their MySejahtera app.

They gave the thumbs-up to the coordinating authorities for the swift updates that came hours after the latest announcement by the authorities to shorten the interval between doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine from 12 weeks to nine.

“It was quite a relief for me,” said factory worker Alvin Lim of Klang, who received his vaccination appointment date together with his wife Rusmala Dewi, 29, upon checking their MySejahtera app at around midnight on Friday.

On Thursday, the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme coordinating minister Khairy Jamaluddin said that those who participated in the AstraZeneca opt-in initiative would soon be notified of their second appointment.

This is following the Special Committee on Covid-19 Vaccine Supply’s decision to shorten the dosing interval following the advice of its panel of experts, who also comprised members from the Health Ministry.

For the record, Khairy said the nine-week dosing interval was still in line with the guidelines set by the vaccine’s manufacturer AstraZeneca, which is between four and 12 weeks.

Following the announcement, Lim said he checked his MySejahtera and saw that his appointment details were already updated.

“I would say that KJ (Khairy) and his team are doing their jobs well and they are committed,” said Lim, who will be receiving his second jab on July 27 at IDCC Shah Alam with his wife.

Lim said his head felt “heavy” after he got his first jab. So he has applied for two days leave from work in anticipation of some side effects after he gets his second jab later.

Meanwhile, schoolteacher Mohd Nashrul Shafiq Mohd Nasir, 34, from Subang Jaya, was also happy to see his second vaccination appointment on Aug 7, also at the IDCC Shah Alam on his MySejahtera app.”I felt relieved,” he said, adding that his wife is getting her vaccination earlier on July 26.

“We deliberately chose different dates so that we can monitor and help each other with the possible side effects,” he said, adding that it allowed them to care for their young son.

He also said they are looking forward to it so that Malaysia could achieve herd immunity as soon as possible.

Nashrul Shafiq, who has obstructive sleep apnea and hypertension, said he was hopeful that his side effects are manageable as his appointment is in the evening and would not jeopardise his online lessons during the day.

Asyraf Saidun, 28, a consumer experience team leader from Selayang was also happy that he and his wife have received their new dates on the MySejahtera app.

“It’s good to see progress because we hope to get over with this soon,” he said.

Ariff Izham Abd Rahman, 36, who works at a restaurant, also hoped that more people will receive their vaccination soon.

He added his mother, father, two brothers, sister-in-law and his wife have all received their dates on Friday night.

“We registered during the first opt-in at the same time. However, I didn’t manage to get a date though. But I’m so happy for them. I’ll just wait patiently for mine,” he said.

Writer Ashley Khoo, 39, from Kuala Lumpur, said it felt good getting her second jab confirmation since her first one on May 24.

She said she would take the extra effort and go for a Covid-19 RT-PCR test two days before her second jab to ensure she is virus-free.

“I will stay indoors after the test until I head out for my vaccination. I think I should be more responsible for myself and the people I come in contact with,” she said.

Khoo noted that she will be on leave for a few days from work to nurse the possible side effects from the jab while getting some rest at home.