BAGAN SERAI – The government has no plans to postpone the administration of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine despite reports of its side effects on recipients abroad, said Deputy Health Minister Datuk Dr Noor Azmi Ghazali.
He said the reported side effects are treatable allergies, and besides, there has been no evidence that the vaccine causes adverse effects or death.
“If side effects occur, doctors at vaccination centres will provide immediate treatment and so far, recipients of other vaccine types have also experienced side effects and they were treated appropriately.
“Don’t worry, because we have medication to treat allergy (symptoms) such as muscle pain, fever, or itchiness,” he said in a news conference at the Back-to-School Haircut Programme for schools in the Bagan Serai constituency at Pusat GiatMara Bagan Serai here today.
Yesterday, Health Director-General Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the Drug Control Authority has agreed to approve the conditional registration of the Covid-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca Solution for Injection, to be supplied through the Covax facility by South Korean manufacturer SK Bioscience Co Ltd, for use during an emergency.
Elaborating, the Bagan Serai MP said the AstraZeneca vaccine, produced from a viral vector by placing weak virus with protein to stimulate the human body, similar to other vaccines, is expected to arrive in Malaysia next month.
Earlier, 80 primary and secondary students in the Bagan Serai parliamentary constituency received free haircuts from GiatMara graduates ahead of the reopening of schools on Monday.
Dr Noor Azmi said besides the annual programme, the less fortunate students also received Parent-Teacher Association fees and school supplies aid to reduce their burdens borne from the pandemic. – Bernama, April 3, 2021
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