People share their views on the dreaded and infamous vaccine.
By Chen Tat Kuan
Within Malaysia, the rate of vaccination has reached a new high, with an aggregate of 313,761 of administered doses. People all over the country are registering and lining up to get vaccinated on a daily basis. However, although miniscule in number there still are concerns regarding the safety of the vaccine; in particularly the AstraZeneca variant of Covid – 19 vaccine. AstraZeneca has since become an optional choice for the people, in the event that the currently two most well-regarded variants: Pfizer and Sinovac are out of stock to be administered with.
“I felt nervous and uncertain when the hospital staff informed me the variant of the vaccine I will be administered with,” said Choon, a 22-year-old student from Tunku Abdul Rahman College.
“There is very limited information regarding the side effects of the AstraZeneca vaccine, and I have come across news sites that reported the debilitating side effects.” Choon has now since continued his studies via online means.
Ever since the side effects of AstraZeneca was first witnessed in the United Kingdom, concerns for the safety and viability rose.
Despite the fact that he has been administered with the AstraZeneca vaccine, Choon, a 22-year-old student currently attending classes online, expresses that despite being more resistant to the virus and the likelihood of getting infected and spreading the virus is lower, he still worries that since less than a week has passed and the side effects have no manifested themselves yet. “I constantly update my family and friends about my current status, if I were to not reply or send any messages for an extended period of time something unfortunate may have happened to me,” said Choon.
“The truth is the chances of the symptoms to manifest is very unlikely, the chances and risk of contracting Covid-19 is significantly higher, so I would rather take the vaccine regardless of its variant,” explains Neo, a 23-year-old accounting student who just graduated and has trouble finding a job due to the pandemic. “As of now, we do not have the luxury to choose which variant of the vaccine to be administered with, what is important is that we reach the herd immunity phase as soon as possible with or without AstraZeneca” he explains. “Some people failed to realize that it is much worse to contract the virus and spread it to others then have an extremely small chance of suffering from the side effects of the vaccine”.
Neo’s thoughts and opinions proved to be accurate. As almost everyone is scrambling to be vaccinated regardless of the variants. People do not want to risk infecting those close to them with the virus, so they would rather take the potentially harmful vaccine.
Bryan, a 23-year-old IT student, has been doing business online as a way to help relieve the burden of his parents ever since the pandemic started. “The reason I am doing this is to support my family with extra income,” he said, “Since I am the eldest child, I cannot just sit here and do nothing.”
Bryan sells car batteries via the online e-commerce platform Shopee. “Sometimes I will encounter troublesome customers who are indecisive,” he added. “The process of wrapping and packaging is often tedious and tiring because I have to make sure that the car battery is adequately protected, which can take a few hours”. He also manages his online store by himself since he is the most well versed with technology among his family.
The type of product that is sold by Bryan’s online business
Image courtesy of Bryan
“Please just register for the vaccine as soon as possible,” said Danish, a 23-year-old accounting major graduate, who has been working in Seremban for quite a while before the pandemic started. He expresses that the minority of the people that refused to be vaccinated are selfish. “Some people need to understand what really matters, and that is to achieve herd immunity as soon as possible instead of having the miniscule chance of suffering from the side effects of the vaccine.”
Times were easier before the pandemic and the subsequent lockdown. It is impossible to meet up with people now because of how dangerous the virus is. Berry remembering the time of meeting up with new people before the virus struck, particularly hanging out with friends at a local bar.
More and more people are registering and getting vaccinated on a daily basis. It is our responsibility to be vaccinated as soon as possible for the sake of ourselves and the people we love around us.
As for now, getting vaccinated (no matter which brand) is most important to protect us and stop the spread.
Side effects exist in any vaccine, but we must believe that we are strong enough to get through it, fighting 💪💪💪
There is definitely a risk but it may be safer for people to check with their doctors to avoid this from happening!!