Health Ministry debunks conspiracy theory on PM's Covid-19 vaccine jab

 

Less than a day after Muhyiddin Yassin received his first Covid-19 vaccine injection, conspiracy theorists swung into action by claiming the prime minister was given something else.

This is after they pointed out that the needle used to draw from the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine vial had a blue hub while the needle used to inject the prime minister had an orange hub.

The Health Ministry explained that using the same needle used to draw from the vaccine vial, which is a larger one, for injection would entail a painful experience.

"The different colour needles mean different bore sizes.

"The (blue) needle used to aspirate from the vial is bigger in size to ensure smooth extraction.

"The smaller bore size needle (red or orange) for inoculation ensures less pain and bruise," it said in a media statement, adding that using different needles also prevents cross-contamination between patients.

The ministry assured that changing needles did not affect the vaccine inside the syringe.

"The vaccine drawn from the vial and given to the patient is unchanged," it said.

During Muhyiddin's injection, nurse matron Lina Ibrahim was seen drawing the vaccine from a vial into a syringe using a needle with a blue hub.

She then changed the needle to one with an orange hub before injecting it into Muhyiddin's left upper arm.

Previously, Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin also had to debunk conspiracy theorists claiming that the vaccines contained mind-control microchips or were a plot by the secret society Illuminati to set up a "new world order".

Aside from Muhyiddin, Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah and four ministry personnel - Dr Tan Yee Ling, Sheilla Mellissa Sikin, Khairul Asraf Mohd Yasin, and Clement Marai Francis - were also given their first vaccine jabs.

The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine comes in two doses, with the jabs to be given 21 days apart.

The first phase of the government's National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme began yesterday. It aims to inoculate 500,000 medical and non-medical frontliners.

Vaccinations are offered free of charge to all who register for them, regardless of citizenship status.

Registrations can be done through the MySejahtera mobile phone application.

 - Mkini