Medical personnel, who are assisting the COVID-19 vaccination effort under ProtectHealth Malaysia, are now required to show recipients the syringe filled with their COVID-19 vaccine prior to inoculation.
The directive was issued following allegations that some medical personnel had drawn less than the standard required amount of the vaccine during the AstraZeneca voluntary opt-in programme, leading to fears of underdosing.
News portal Malaysiakini stated that it had sighted a message informing all those tasked with administering the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine to show the filled syringe to the recipient before vaccination as well as the emptied syringe afterwards.
The message also said that the correct volume — which is 0.5ml — must be shown to the recipient.
The Malaysiakini report also quoted a Health Ministry officer as confirming that the directive was authentic.
A few Malaysians, who recently received their first AstraZeneca jab, took to social media to say they suspected that they had been given less than the required 0.5ml dosage.
Two individuals posted videos of their vaccination on Twitter, showing them receiving only about 0.1ml of the COVID-19 vaccine.
It was reported that, after lodging a complaint, one of them was later given an additional 0.4ml of the vaccine.
The government’s COVID-19 Immunisation Task Force said it was investigating the cases, but as of yesterday, it had not publicly acknowledged they happened.
ProtectHealth Malaysia is an initiative under the Health Ministry that is coordinating with medical personnel in the private sector to facilitate the country’s COVID-19 vaccination efforts. — Malay Mail
