APHM president: More observers the best way to prevent 'underdosing' errors
Having more observers involved in overseeing the administration of vaccines is the best way to prevent 'underdosing' errors, said Association of Private Hospitals Malaysia (APHM) president Dr Kuljit Singh.
“We must face the fact that human errors can occur in the administration of vaccines. Our motive must be to reduce the error and not assign blame...
Having more observers involved in overseeing the administration of vaccines is the best way to prevent 'underdosing' errors, said Association of Private Hospitals Malaysia (APHM) president Dr Kuljit Singh.
“We must face the fact that human errors can occur in the administration of vaccines. Our motive must be to reduce the error and not assign blame.
“At the same time, we can't be lax about a situation in which someone has the potential of not being fully vaccinated but under the impression that they are.
“To me, the answer is fairly simple, which is to have at least one observer watching the process. One observer can cover one administration at a time, or if resources are short, one can observe two provided they are not too far apart," he told Malaysiakini.
The 'underdosing' issue first arose when marketer Anoogrehan Manoharan reviewed a video of his AstraZeneca vaccination process at the World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur (WTCKL) and claimed that he did not receive the full dose of the vaccine.
According to product information leaflets available from the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency’s website, one dose of the vaccine is 0.5ml.
After raising the issue with BP Healthcare, he was asked to come in to get re-vaccinated with the recommended dose and this was done four days later, Anoogrehan told Malaysiakini.
A similar scenario also befell Danial Abrar Bestari Abrar, who also received a reduced dose of AstraZeneca vaccine on the same day and was given a “top-up” after he raised the matter with the authorities.
Yesterday, a directive was 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.
Kuljit said while it was a good idea to show the patient the dose, but as laypeople, they might not be so aware, so a trained observer should work better.
"On one hand, it's a good idea to show the patient and this might help detect errors. On the other hand, some patients have an element of fear and this might make them more nervous," he said.
Malaysian Medical Association president Dr Subramaniam Muniady said that by showing the vaccine vials before and after the vaccination, there should not be any issues.
"Even an accompanying family member is allowed to witness the injection being given.
"However, it should be noted that mistakes do happen occasionally but they are usually minor and rare.
"All vaccinators at the vaccination centres are well trained to conduct the vaccinations. There are also strict SOPs and guidelines and this leaves little room for any errors," he said.
He added that there is a high level of trust for frontliners and called on the public to extend the same amount of trust in vaccinators as they are also part of the same team battling Covid-19 together.
Malaysiakini has attempted to reach BP Healthcare and Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah for further explanations on the issue of 'underdosing' but has yet to receive a response.
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