KUALA LUMPUR – Some Malaysians are claiming that they are being left in the dark over Covid-19 vaccination dates after missing their shot session.
Several social media users have taken to the platforms, declaring that they were not notified of their appointment, only to find out too little, too late that they had been scheduled.
According to them, they neither received a call nor SMS from the Health Ministry, nor a notification via the MySejahtera app.
One such individual is Mohd Syahidi Ezrie Omar, who claimed that he found out only yesterday that he had been allocated a slot two weeks ago after checking MySejahtera.
“Hey @KKMPutrajaya, what is this? There is no notification, nothing, and suddenly I have an appointment on May 10, 2021?” he posted on Twitter under his username @pearkuku.
Syahidi Ezrie was supposed to receive a call and message a few days prior to his vaccination date as a reminder, commented a couple of users.
Another commenter, @adilakaman, in replying to the post, said her friend’s father experienced a similar problem and missed his appointment.
“Luckily, he was able to receive his jab via walk-in after informing that he missed (his date).”
It is uncertain whether the public are allowed to be vaccinated via walk-in.
The Special Committee on Covid-19 Vaccine Supply Access Guarantee said those who missed their appointment should call its hotline 1-800-888-828 for rescheduling.
A recent incident in Ipoh, Perak, saw some 800 individuals, who defaulted on their appointment, walking in to a vaccination centre for their shot, causing an unwanted congestion.
The Perak Health Department later urged the public to regularly check MySejahtera for their slotted date so as to not miss them.
According to the committee, all eligible recipients will be informed about their appointment 14 days prior to their scheduled date, and after accepting, they will receive a call and SMS about three days before the session.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba when contacted said such individuals need to contact the Covid-19 Immunisation Task Force for a new date or to do so via MySejahtera.
“They can be assisted. A new date will be given to them.”
Another Twitter user, @feafifofum, said she was supposed to get her first jab on Sunday, according to her MySejahtera app, but was unaware of the scheduled appointment as she did not receive any notification.
She said after consulting a relative who is a nurse, she decided to try her luck and walk in, and was fortunately vaccinated.
On May 19, user @qamilanalkatli posted that she was notified of her appointment just 15 minutes prior, and that attempts to call her vaccination centre for rescheduling were unsuccessful.
For @defffjk, her appointment time was changed from 2pm to 11am the same day at the last minute, causing her to miss her session.
A search by The Vibes found that there are more Malaysians facing similar issues of not being notified on their appointment dates. – The Vibes, May 25, 2021
