Bringing a glimmer of hope for better days to come, Malaysia has received its first batch of COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer-BioNTech on 21 February 2021. Flown in on Malaysia Airlines' Airbus A330-300, the first batch has 312,930 doses and Malaysia is scheduled to receive a total of 12.8 million doses from Pfizer-BioNTech. While more COVID-19 vaccines are coming to the country this year, you may be wondering, "How to register COVID-19 vaccination in Malaysia?" Before we start, here are some things you should know about COVID-19 vaccines in Malaysia.
How many COVID-19 vaccines are coming to Malaysia?
As stated in the National Immunisation Programme, Malaysia is scheduled to receive more COVID-19 vaccines this year. Besides Pfizer-BioNTech, the country can expect the arrival of other COVID-19 vaccines such as AstraZeneca, Sinovac, CanSinoBio, and Sputnik V.
According to The Star, Malaysia is in the midst of procuring a COVID-19 vaccine from Johnson & Johnson, the latest addition to the current vaccine armory, following a recommendation from the Covid-19 Vaccine Supply Access Guarantee Special Committee. This single-dose vaccine has shown promising results based on its clinical information, but it must first be evaluated by Malaysian Health Ministry’s National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA).
What are the side effects of the COVID-19 vaccines?
The National Immunisation Programme handbook has listed mild and temporary side effects after getting a COVID-19 vaccine. As reported by The Star, Malaysia’s Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin shared that the ‘Health Ministry will prepare a special vaccine injury scheme which we will announce in due course’.
Commonly reported side effects after getting a COVID-19 vaccine
- Pain, swelling or redness on the arm where you get the shot
- Fatigue
- Headache
- Chills
- Joint pain
- Fever
- Nausea
- Swollen lymph node
When will I receive the COVID-19 vaccine in Malaysia?
According to the National Immunisation Programme, the vaccine rollout in Malaysia will be executed in three phases.
First phase (February to April 2021)
- Target: 500,000 people
- Priority group 1: Frontliners comprising of public and private healthcare personnel
- Priority group 2: Frontliners consisting of essential services*, defense and security personnel
- *Will be updated from time to time by JKJAV
Second phase (April to August 2021)
- Target: 9.4 million people
- Priority group 1: Remainder of healthcare workers as well as those in essential services and defense and security personnel
- Priority group 2: Senior citizens (those aged 60 and over), high-risk group with chronic diseases such as heart disease, obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure and people with disabilities (OKU)*
- *The information will be reviewed periodically
Third phase (May 2021 to February 2022)
- Target: 13.7 million people
- Priority group 1: Adults above 18 years old (both Malaysians and non-Malaysians). Priority will be given to citizens residing in the red zone, followed by yellow and green zones.
Currently, the vaccine rollout will focus on individuals above 18 years old as the clinical trials for children are still under way. The Malaysian government will consider the use of COVID-19 vaccine on children once scientific data has proven the vaccines to be safe and effective for individuals aged 18 years and below.
How to register for COVID-19 vaccination in Malaysia?
According to the National Immunisation Programme, the administration of COVID-19 vaccine is voluntary and the public is encouraged to register for COVID-19 vaccination starting 1 March 2021. To register for COVID-19 vaccine in Malaysia, check out the list of options below. Details about your appointment such as date and vaccination centre will be sent through MySejahtera app or informed via phone call or SMS.
At the time of writing, the full details have yet to be released and the government will share further updates once these registration processes are confirmed.
- Register via MySejahtera app
- Schedule an appointment through a general hotline (soon-to-be-launched)
- Register through outreach programme for rural and interior areas
- Register through Vaksin Covid website
- Register at public or private healthcare facilities in Malaysia
What is the vaccination process if I register through MySejahtera application or special website?
Based on the National Immunisation Programme handbook, this is what the vaccination process is like if you register through MySejahtera application or a special website.
Dose 1
- Registration: Register through MySejahtera application or a special website
- Receive appointment date via MySejahtera app, phone call or SMS
- Visit the determined vaccination centre
- Get temperature check and complete symptoms assessment
- Registration of QR code and identity check
- Attend consultation and fill in an authorisation form
- Injection of First Dose: Administration of injection and confirmation of acceptance of vaccine
- Observation: Observation for 30 minutes
- Receive vaccination card
- Monitoring for COVID-19 Adverse Events Following Immunisation (AEFI)
Dose 2 (if the vaccine has two doses)
- Receive appointment date
- Receive reminder about the second dose
- Visit the determined vaccination centre
- Get temperature check and complete symptoms assessment
- Registration of QR code and identity check
- Injection of Second Dose: Administration of injection and confirmation of acceptance of vaccine
- Observation: Observation for 30 minutes
- Receive the COVID-19 Vaccine Immunisation Digital Certificate (for single dose vaccines, the certificate will be shared as soon as the first date is administered)
- Be aware of any side effects or monitor for COVID-19 Adverse Events Following Immunisation (AEFI)
There are three ways to report any side effects or COVID-19 Adverse Events Following Immunisation (AEFI):
- Inform the medical facility
- Use the MySejahtera app
- Through the NPRA ConSERF website
What is the manual vaccination progress if I register through the official hotline, health clinic or outreach programme?
Based on the National Immunisation Programme handbook, this is what the vaccination process is like if you register through MySejahtera application or a special website.
Dose 1
- Registration: Register through hotline number, health clinic or outreach programme
- Receive appointment date
- Visit the determined vaccination centre
- Get temperature check and complete symptoms assessment
- Registration of QR code and identity check
- Attend consultation and fill in an authorisation form
- Injection of First Dose: Administration of injection and confirmation of acceptance of vaccine
- Observation: Observation for 30 minutes
- Receive vaccination card
- Monitoring for COVID-19 Adverse Events Following Immunisation (AEFI)
Dose 2 (if your vaccine has two doses)
- Receive appointment date
- Receive reminder about the second dose
- Visit the determined vaccination centre
- Get temperature check and complete symptoms assessments
- Registration of QR code and identity check
- Injection of Second Dose: Administration of injection and confirmation of acceptance of vaccine
- Observation: Observation for 30 minutes
- Update of vaccination card (for single dose vaccines, the vaccination card will be shared as soon as the first dose is administered)
- Be aware of any side effects or monitor for COVID-19 Adverse Events Following Immunisation (AEFI)
Similar to the above, there are three ways to report any side effects or COVID-19 Adverse Events Following Immunisation (AEFI):
- Inform the medical facility
- Use the MySejahtera app
- Through the NPRA ConSERF website
Where to get the latest information about COVID-19 vaccine in Malaysia?
For the latest information about COVID-19 vaccine in Malaysia, we recommend reading the National Immunisation Programme handbook (you can read the English version here) or visit Malaysia’s official COVID-19 vaccine website. Both handbook and website were released by Jawatankuasa Khas Jaminan Akses Bekalan Vaksin COVID-19 (JKJAV), also known as the Special Committee on COVID-19 Vaccine Supply Access that’s chaired by Malaysia’s Health Ministry and the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation.
The arrival of the first batch of COVID-19 vaccine in Malaysia brings a glimmer of hope that we are closer to returning back to where we were. While it's still a long journey of recovery in Malaysia, let's continue to do our part to keep ourselves and our community safe. Remember to practice social distancing in public places, wear a mask at all times, and adhere to the SOP when you're out and about. Don't forget to read the important things you should know about COVID-19 vaccine in Malaysia.