After months on end of dealing with a global pandemic that shows no signs of dwindling, the arrival of the Covid-19 vaccine seemed like a godsend. But when 40 healthcare staff in Malaysia tested positive for Covid-19 even after receiving the vaccine, we’re forced to confront the truth that it doesn’t guarantee 100% protection.
Regardless, vaccine rollouts seem likely to continue, as they still provide some sort of safeguard.
In a Facebook post on Saturday (17 Apr 2021), Malaysian health-director general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah shared some unsettling data.
Despite receiving the Covid-19 vaccine, a total of 182 healthcare staff recently tested positive for the virus.
142 were infected after the first dose. More worrying are the remaining 40, who contracted the virus after the second dose.
According to Dr Hisham, 31 workers tested positive less than 2 weeks after their second dose, while 9 were more than 2 weeks later.
Perhaps aware of the concerns that may arise, he didn’t sugarcoat what the statistics show:
It is clear that we still can be infected after completion of vaccination but perhaps less in severity.
The main consolation the vaccine seems to provide is far less severe symptoms. Whether this increases the chances and speed of recovery is unclear.
But what is certain is that the Malaysian authorities do not intend to relax safety measures any time soon. Which is likely why Dr Noor Hisham ended his post with the reminder to continue complying to them.
Amidst this news, Malaysia continues to report a high number of new cases, with 2,331 today (17 Apr).
The breakdown across the different states is as per the graphic above, with Selangor recording the highest count at 751.
With numbers showing no signs of slowing down yet, Dr Noor Hisham’s reminder is indeed crucial.
Since Malaysia is our direct neighbour, Singapore no doubt worries greatly about the country’s Covid-19 situation.
We hope that it’ll improve significantly in due time, so a greater semblance of normalcy can return.
In the meantime, Malaysia residents should stay safe, and adhere to all health and safety precautions.
Featured image adapted from Facebook and Facebook.
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