KUALA LUMPUR – Singer and actress Sasha Mohd Saidin, 44, looks to be among the first few Malaysians who have received the Covid-19 vaccine.
According to her Instagram post, she and husband Sirhan Wahab were inoculated in the United Arab Emirates last Tuesday.
“Today, Sirhan and I took the first dose of the Sinopharm vaccine but prior to taking the vaccine my husband and I did intensive reading on both the Sinopharm and Pfizer vaccines,” she wrote in her post that was accompanied by a picture showing her with a bandage on her left arm.
“In the end, we decided to proceed with Sinopharm, which has 86% effectiveness, taking into consideration the news of the latest coronavirus strain.”
She said before being administered with the vaccine, the couple were informed by health authorities at the vaccination centre that Sinopharm in the UAE had completed its trial stages.
The trials started in August.
“Of course, like any other vaccines such as the flu or chickenpox vaccination, there will be a certain percentage with side effects, which is why we were asked a series of questions at the vaccination centre with regard to allergies, illnesses, etc.
"Certainly, wherever you are in the world and you are thinking of taking the vaccine, please do your research and make sure you keep up with the latest updates as there are new developments on the road to battling this pandemic every day.”
The Sinopharm vaccine, produced by the namesake Chinese drug giant, was officially registered in the UAE early this month after undergoing the third stage of clinical trials since July.
The vaccine is one of two to have undergone third-phase trials in the Arab country, next to Russia’s Sputnik-V, which is named after the Soviet-era satellite, according to AFP. – The Vibes, December 27, 2020