Malaysians in Singapore thrilled to get Covid-19 jab

 

COVID-19 | A number of Malaysians working in Singapore have started receiving the Pfizer BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine.

Those who received the injection were mostly working in the sector that was given priority for the vaccine in the republic.

Some of them shared their experience on the Malaysian-Singapore Border Crossers Facebook page, which now has almost 82,000 members.

According to Imra Astata Ibrahim, who works in the marine sector, he took the first injection on Jan 13 and will take the second dose after 21 days.

The 40-year-old who is renting a room in Jurong West, told Bernama he did not hesitate to get the vaccine with 10 of his Malaysian colleagues.

The father of three has high hopes that by getting vaccinated, it will be easier for him to travel back and forth to Johor as before.

"Who knows, there might be an understanding between the two countries to facilitate the movement of commuters for workers who have received this vaccine," he said.

Imra returned to the republic on Sept 24, 2020, after strict measures at both borders were introduced in March last year to curb the Covid-19 pandemic.

Asked if there were any effects after taking the vaccine, Imra said before taking it, he and his colleagues had been informed of the possible side effects.

"So far my friends and I are healthy after taking the jab. Only on the first day did I feel a slight numb and pain at the injection area,” the Johorean added. 

The Singapore government has made provision for all Singaporeans and long-term residents to get vaccinated by end-2021, if there are no unforeseen disruptions to vaccine shipments.

Singapore received the first shipment of Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine on Dec 21.

To ensure the accessibility of the vaccine and enable the republic to achieve a higher rate of inoculation for the population, this vaccination will be free.

According to its Ministry of Health, as of Jan 12, more than 6,200 individuals have received their first dose.

These numbers are expected to rise substantially in the coming weeks as Singapore continues to ramp up its vaccination operations, it said.

In line with the recommendations by the expert committee on Covid-19 vaccination to prioritise vaccinations of groups that are most at risk, Singapore has begun vaccinating healthcare workers progressively from Dec 30.

- Bernama