Continue adhering to SOPs despite getting COVID-19 vaccination, public urged

KUALA LUMPUR: The public has been urged to continue adhering to the standard operating procedures (SOP) such as observing physical distancing, wearing face masks and washing hands even after receiving the COVID-19 vaccination.

Virology expert and director of Tropical Infectious Diseases Research and Education Centre, University of Malaya Prof Dr Sazaly Abu Bakar said the risk of getting infected still exists even if the person has been vaccinated against the virus.

He advised the public to abandon the old lifestyle and adopt new habits in the new norm, even if the COVID-19 vaccine has been found.

"This is because the vaccine is effective in preventing the individual from experiencing a more serious effect of the infection but that does not mean that the person cannot be a carrier of the virus," he said.

He said this while appearing as a guest in the ‘Malaysia Petang Ini’ programme on Bernama TV, discussing ‘COVID-19 Vaccine: Understanding the Access and Procurement of the AstraZeneca Vaccine’, here yesterday.

He said the vaccine being developed now is only for those aged 18 and above.

Meanwhile, Sazaly said purchasing the COVID-19 vaccine from AstraZeneca pharmaceutical is the best measure to provide multiple choices of vaccines to the people, adding that Malaysians are blessed to have these choices.

He said human physiology and biology differ from one man to another which may result in different reactions towards the same vaccine adding that the same vaccine might cause some to suffer from allergies.

Earlier yesterday, Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin announced that the government had signed an agreement with pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca for the procurement of an additional 10 per cent or 6.4 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.

-- BERNAMA