New rule: Medical personnel told to show recipients Covid-19 vaccine syringe
UPDATED 6.37PM | A directive has been issued to medical personnel assisting in the Covid-19 vaccination efforts under ProtectHealth Malaysia to show recipients the syringe filled with Covid-19 vaccine in it.
This comes amid complaints that some medical personnel had drawn an erroneous amount of the vaccine in the AstraZeneca voluntary programme, leading to underdosing...
UPDATED 6.37PM | A directive has been issued to medical personnel assisting in the Covid-19 vaccination efforts under ProtectHealth Malaysia to show recipients the syringe filled with Covid-19 vaccine in it.
This comes amid complaints that some medical personnel had drawn an erroneous amount of the vaccine in the AstraZeneca voluntary programme, leading to underdosing.
Malaysiakini sighted a message informing all those administering the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine to show the filled syringe as well as the emptied syringe after the vaccination.
The message added that they should ensure the correct volume is shown - which is 0.5ml.
A Health Ministry officer confirmed with Malaysiakini that the message was authentic.
Complaints about underdosing emerged after a number of people recorded themselves while receiving their Covid-19 jabs.
The visuals resulted in complaints that some recipients were receiving "too little" vaccine based on the volume in the syringe.
At least two such complainants told Malaysiakini they have been given a top-up shot after lodging a complaint.
The government's Covid-19 Immunisation Task Force said it was investigating the cases but as of yesterday, it has 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 Covid-19 vaccination efforts.
In a statement this evening, Health Minister Dr Adham Baba said the ministry and ProtectHealth are conducting further investigation into the matter.
"To ensure the immunisation quality of AstraZeneca, the ministry issued an additional instruction on the SOP to all vaccine operators at the PPV.
"The vaccine injectors must show the vaccine syringe according to the quantity prescribed to the vaccine recipients, before performing the injection," Adham said.
After the injection, he said, the empty syringe must be shown to the recipients.
The additional SOP is also applied to all the vaccination centres, he said, adding that close monitoring is needed to ensure full compliance with the SOPs.
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