[UPDATED] Bookings open tomorrow for AstraZeneca jabs in KL, S’gor: health DG

KUALA LUMPUR – Bookings for the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine will open from 12pm tomorrow via The Special Committee On Covid-19 Vaccine Supply’s website for those in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur.

Health Director-General Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah in a tweet said the bookings are on a first-come, first-served basis.

Among the requirements for the booking is that interested individuals must be at least 18 years old and have previously registered for the Covid-19 vaccination under the national immunisation programme.

Dr Noor Hisham said the AstraZeneca vaccination dispensing centres are University of Malaya, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, the World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur and Ideal Convention Center Shah Alam.

The Health Ministry also advised those interested to familiarise themselves with information on the vaccine before booking.

Covid-19 vaccination coordinating minister Khairy Jamaluddin said in a series of tweets that those interested do not need to re-register for the jab.

“Tomorrow at 1200hrs you will see ‘Mohon Sekarang’. Click on it and follow the instructions. (Those who have registered for vaccination) Your names are already in the system. You just need to book your date and the vaccination centre.

“Your appointment notification will be via MySejahtera. There will also be a quick pre-vaccination screening with doctors at the PPV (vaccine centre) before the jab.”

There will be a quick pre-vac screening with doctors at the PPV before the jab. https://t.co/c2A9DKBdmC

— Khairy Jamaluddin ??? (@Khairykj) May 1, 2021

Once the limit has been reached, the bookings will be closed but those who already registered for vaccination will remain in queue.

“AstraZeneca vaccinations are covered under the Covid-19 Vaccine Injury Fund. While AstraZeneca is an opt-in parallel track, it is still part of PICK (national Covid-19 immunisation programme). It’s also free for residents since part of PICK,” said Khairy in another tweet.

The announcement was teased by Dr Noor Hisham on April 27: “Perhaps we should open a walk-in for AZ (AstraZeneca) vaccine. No need to wait. What do you think?”

Several Twitter users applauded Dr Noor Hisham’s idea, saying they would like to take part in the walk-ins. 

On April 26, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba had assured Malaysians that AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccine was safe and effective, and would be administered to senior citizens in Malaysia. 

“I wish to confirm that the AstraZeneca vaccine is safe for use and it is effective. We will give it to those aged 60 and above, the most suitable group.”

He said the vaccine will be used in Phase 2 of the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programe that began on April 19, which covers senior citizens, persons with disabilities and those with comorbidities.

Last Saturday, Dr Adham had said Malaysia received its first batch of 268,800 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine through the global Covax facility.

Director of the Clinical Research Institute, National Institute of Health (NIH), Dr Kalaiarasu M. Peariasamy said in the same press conference that from pre-clinical aspects, the AstraZeneca vaccine using the viral vector platform was good for the prevention of contracting Covid-19.

He said the Special Committee on Covid-19 Vaccine Supply Access Guarantee, jointly chaired by Dr Adham and Khairy, had sought expert opinion on the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine.

Dr Kalairasu said after studying various data, the experts concluded that the AstraZeneca vaccine was beneficial to use and that cases of blood clots linked to it were rare.

“Comparing the risks and benefits of the vaccine, it is suitable to be used for those aged 60 and above,” he said, adding that the vaccine had been approved by the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA) on March 2. – The Vibes, May 1, 2021