Tonton Dfm2u
More Covid-19 vaccines have started arriving on our shores this month, and the government is working hard to vaccinate as many people as possible as quickly as possible.
Hospitals and clinics will not be able to cope with this and one way to speed up the vaccination campaign is to hold mass vaccinations at large gatherings, especially in the Klang Valley. The use of the megacenter for the event was quick and effective, judging by the many people sharing on social media the vaccination process that took less than an hour. It is also comforting to know that ambulances are ready to respond in case of a serious incident. Nationally, more than 300,000 people are vaccinated every day, which is a great achievement.
While this is good, the use of mega centers brings another problem. The Ideal Convention Center in Shah Alam reported that more than 200 workers who participated in the vaccination drive tested positive for Covid-19.
The government must assess the situation and urgently change its approach. We must be careful not to start new paths that could trigger new outbreaks, otherwise we could shoot ourselves in the foot.
Think about it: Thousands of people flock to a convention center every day, in a confined space, waiting for an hour or two. The presence of asymptomatic Covid-19 patients in the crowd is a potential risk for spread.
Those who can be vaccinated will sit in separate seats as they are guided from port to port, through waiting to register, being examined by a doctor, waiting for the injection, giving the injections and finally the check-in time. As they go, they also encounter doctors wearing masks as they touch pads and fill out forms.
Any potential source of risk and we cannot afford a mega-cluster outbreak now that our health system is collapsing.
We are constantly reminded to avoid crowded and closed spaces. It has also become common for people to spend less than 20 minutes shopping in air-conditioned places, such as supermarkets.
If gatherings are not allowed, why are crowds allowed to gather in large spaces to get daily injections? What should be done?
Due to this exposure at the mega center, it is important that anyone who passes through the mega vaccination center or any other clinic gets themselves screened and takes precautions to protect themselves and others around them. It is also worrying to hear that young volunteers are not vaccinated before working in the industry. All frontline workers and volunteers at vaccination sites should be vaccinated before being exposed to the public. Meanwhile, the Minister of Coordination for the National Covid-19 Vaccination Programme Khairy Jamaluddin and the Covid-19 Vaccination Team, with advice from the Ministry of Health, are looking to find a well-ventilated area to serve as a vaccination site.
Vehicles may be accepted under shelter as this will protect health workers and volunteers from rain and sunlight. Even halls currently used as vaccination centers can be converted into vaccination rooms if they have the capacity, such as open-air buildings or shaded alleys.
Air-conditioned rooms can still be used to store vaccines, protective clothing, syringes, and other supplies. Former federal minister Rafidah Aziz was right when she said the government should stop having thousands of people crowding vaccination centres, and instead conduct small-scale vaccination campaigns at the district level, with multi-purpose rooms for this purpose.
“Data collected in these regional areas can be collated by the district health offices and then forwarded to the state health departments for analysis and submission to the Ministry of Health,” she told FMT recently. At present, these measures may not be sufficient and it will be necessary to use a network of general practitioners so that doctors can assess and advise patients in case of side effects.
Another option is for vaccination teams to travel from one community to another to vaccinate vulnerable groups, such as those over 60, people with disabilities and pregnant women who have not been vaccinated. While vaccination teams are visiting families in need, more outreach is needed to reach those who are not registered.
Some of these people are not registered for various reasons. Similarly, families find it difficult to send their loved ones to mega centers for vaccinations due to various health or medical issues.
They find it difficult to cover their feet in megacenters. Some frail elderly people and some pregnant women also experience anxiety, fear of crowds, and cold.
It is difficult for family members to cope with a disabled person who has mental or behavioral problems. If the government is planning to set up another mega vaccination center, it should stop there and consider other safer vaccination options.
As Malaysia is caught in the “storm” of the Covid-19 pandemic and its health system is overwhelmed, the government and the people must do everything possible to reduce the risk of Covid-19 spreading at vaccination centers. The nation’s mental and emotional health has been severely tested.
The last thing we need is a cluster of cases in a mega-center.
