By Lian Cheng
KUCHING, April 20: Sarawak Health Department clarifies that no one in Sibu has received PfizerNTech vaccine as a “backdoor” favour following allegations of vaccine queue-cutting.
Sarawak Health Director Dr Chin Zin Hing said the man pictured in photos being viraled as proof of the said queue-cutting is a traditional medicine practitioner who is on the frontliners’ list and had received the vaccination during Phase 1.
“The pictures that were viralled were not true. Sibu Health Divisional Office follows the guideline of the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme and has administered the vaccine according to the frontliners’ list during Phase 1 and there was no incident of ‘backdoor’ (favouritism).
“The pictures which have been in circulating in social media involves a frontliner who falls into the category of traditional complementary medicine (TCM), who was scheduled (to receive the vaccination) and was vaccinated on the particular date in the clinic designated,” said Dr Chin during a Covid-19 press conference here today.
There are three pictures being circulated online as proof of the alleged vaccine queue-cutting. The first is a photo of a patient card which some in Sibu believe is a form to fill in before receiving the vaccination instead of updating via MySejahtera.
The second photo shows a man being vaccinated by a nurse and the third photo shows the same man holding a placard with the words “Saya telah divaksin” ( I have been vaccinated).
Social media in Sibu has been aflame with comments from those believing that there were many like this man who allegedly jumped queue and received his vaccination yesterday, and thus prematurely finishing the 700 PfizerNTech vaccine doses supposed to be administered today.
However, Dr Chin stressed that the said person in the photos was not given the vaccine today but during Phase 1.
The Sarawak Health Department rolled out its Phase 2 vaccination programme yesterday in Sibu, giving priority to those over 60 years of age and those with comorbidity or chronic illnesses.
The Sibu public was expecting 700 more to be vaccinated today. However, following news earlier today that Day 2 (today) of Phase 2 of the vaccination programme is postponed due to lack of vaccines, rumours of “backdoor vaccination” was further fuelled.
After Phase 1 of the vaccination programme, there were already rumours in Sibu that as many people did not turn up for vaccination after registering via MySejahtera, and that those in the know had called their family members and relatives to receive the vaccine in the stead of the absentees.
It was said that if the person scheduled to be vaccinated does not turn up, the vaccine would go to waste. There are also rumours that there are individuals who even wait at certain clinics on standby to quickly take place of anyone who does not turn up for their vaccination appointments. — DayakDaily
