With the news about the much-awaited Covid-19 vaccine out for some time now, several countries around the world have already made their orders and some have even received it and have started their vaccination process.
Malaysia is no exception to this and the government has already signed a Covid-19 vaccine deal with Pfizer and they’re expected to arrive early February. However, according to a report by Bernama, despite having the vaccine, the public is still advised to comply with the standard operating procedures (SOPs) that have been set.
This includes practising physical distancing in public, wearing face masks when out, and washing hands frequently to combat this pandemic.
Profesor Dr Sazaly Abu
According to Virologist and Director of the Tropical Infectious Diseases Research and Education Center (TIDREC) of the University of Malaya (UM), Professor Dr. Sazly Abu Bakar, the risk of getting the infection remains the same even if a person has been vaccinated.
He said the old lifestyle should be forgotten as we have entered new norms thanks to the pandemic. Due to that our habits have changed and even with the availability of the vaccine, we cannot go back to the old ways of life.
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“This is because the vaccine is effective in preventing a person from experiencing worse effects from the infection, but that does not mean that a person who has been vaccinated cannot be a carrier of the virus itself,” he said.
He said during a program discussing ‘Covid-19 Vaccine: Understanding Access and Acquisition of AstraZeneca Vaccines’ by Bernama TV.
He also said that the vaccine being developed now is only for those aged 18 and above.
He argues that those under that age should get the vaccine when their age has increased so that they will not be exposed to the infection.
Meanwhile, Sazaly described the purchase of vaccines with the pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca as the best step to diversify the choice of vaccines used by the people in the country.
“As we know, the physiology and biology in the body of every human being is different, and the response received (when vaccinated) is also different, which may cause people to suffer from allergies from the vaccine itself,” he said.
Also Read: Covid-19 Vaccines May Cause Weeks Of Facial Paralysis But The Condition Is Harmless
