No report of fear of vaccine among PwDs - Ras Adiba

JOHOR BAHRU: The majority of persons with disabilities (PwDs) in the country are not afraid to get vaccinated, in fact, they even welcome the efforts to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, said Senator Datuk Ras Adiba Radzi.

Ras Adiba, the president of OKU Sentral, said that even most parents or guardians of PwDs also gave positive feedback and could not wait for the group to be vaccinated.

"Currently, I do not receive reports (of PwDs or parents and guardians) rejecting the vaccine... because most of the feedback we receive is that the parents and guardians of PwDs themselves cannot wait to be vaccinated.

"This is also one of the factors for us to come to Johor Bahru, because we were told that many disabled friends, including rural people, can't wait to get the vaccine, so we try to reach out as soon as possible, moreover, PwDs like us are used to injections, so there is no problem," she said.

She said this to reporters in conjunction with the opening of the first day of the OKU Sentral drive-through vaccination centre (PPV), at Pusat Akuatik Majlis Bandaraya Johor Bahru (MBJB) Arena Larkin, here today.

Ras Adiba, who is also the chairman of the Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) and a Member of the Senate representing the PwD community, said this when asked to comment if she had received any report of PwDs rejecting the vaccine.

Meanwhile, Johor Bahru mayor, Datuk Mohd Noorazam Osman, who was also present, said that 400 disabled people, including family members and senior citizens, received the vaccine at the PPV today, and the opening of the PPV was also seen as timely, thus helping Johor to achieve herd immunity.

"I hope that more people register for the vaccine to ensure that Johor can reach 50 per cent of adults receiving the vaccine. I also hope that the government will speed up the provision of vaccines in the state so that we can achieve herd immunity," he said.

The PPV, which operates from today until Oct 25, is open daily except Fridays, from 9 am to 5 pm.

-- BERNAMA