Disclaimer: In Real Life is a platform for everyday people to share their experiences and voices. All articles are personal stories and do not necessarily echo In Real Life’s sentiments.
We thought we were going to see the end of the pandemic once vaccines were released to the public.
Unfortunately, we thought wrong.
Malaysia has made several missteps in handling this pandemic. At one point, our cases were numbering tens of thousands daily. Currently, we have suffered a loss of over 30,000 deaths and over 2.76mil cases. Daily reports can be found here.
As a Malaysian, I really have to wonder: is Malaysia going to be okay?
1. The AstraZeneca vaccine lottery
Most people had heard about the vaccine roll out through social media. Unfortunately, the roll out for the AZ vaccine resembled a lottery and most of its winners were privileged in being able to secure themselves an appointment: it took not just luck, but also the privilege of having a secure Internet connection and in some cases, multiple devices.
It didn’t help that the slots for the AZ vaccine were limited. Netizens joked that trying to get vaccinated was like being in the Hunger Games.
Consequently, this lottery divided some Malaysians. Those who were fortunate enough to get this shot are often found being self-congratulatory about their privilege on social media – forgetting that those who didn’t or couldn’t get it were very unfortunate.
2. The rise of the antivax community
What was thought to be a purely Western affliction soon found its way here. Or maybe it was here all along and we just didn’t know (which speaks to the lack of scientific education given to the general population).
Many had misconceptions about vaccines; some thinking that they were haram, and others believing the ridiculously fictitious claim that vaccines cause autism.
Source: mykampusradio
A friend of mine, let’s call him Arvind, told me about how his mother’s group of friends is rife with antivax conspiracies. They congratulate themselves on avoiding getting vaccinated and in circumnavigating any SOPs. The group is made up of doctors and other highly educated urban people as well.
He often talks sense into his mother, but she has been ostracised by the group for getting vaccinated and for not giving in to the conspiracies they spout.
3. The choice of vaccinating a significant portion of the population with Sinovac
Even prior to the release of information that showed how Sinovac’s effectiveness waned to 28% after 3 months, studies had shown that Sinovac was not as effective as the mRNA vaccines.
I myself was reluctant to get Sinovac, but I wasn’t lucky enough to get another vaccine. The best vaccine is the one you get, anyway. I just wish that the population was given a better one.
Now news is coming out that those who had Sinovac might need 4 shots in total: the original 2 shots and then 2 additional booster shots.
4. Double standards
Many people felt that the strict SOPs imposed upon people were reasonable – until it was revealed that those who were rich and powerful were following a different set of rules.
For example, the incident in which the MP of Batu Pahat held a durian party at a time when such events were prohibited.
Or Neelofa’s countless SOP violations.
Source: bernama
Or even the story about how datuks use their power, influence and money to hold secret parties.
It became clear that privilege could buy you the ability to cherry pick which SOPs you wish to follow.
5. Lack of effective communication or guidelines from authorities
People are still prioritising sanitising places and surfaces instead of using ventilation. People are still happy to pull their masks down in enclosed spaces like lifts.
The virus is airborne, we all know that, but do people really understand what this means?
Source: merriam-webster online dictionary
Sadly, messages from higher ups about the virus haven’t been educational or informative enough for people to take proper action.
It doesn’t help that there is constant flip-flopping on SOPs and regulations. Remember the Sabah election that led to a rapid spike in cases?
And now we’re supposed to rely on MySejahtera appointments or waiting lists to clear so we can get our boosters, as walk-ins for boosters have been discontinued due to crowding. Clearly, there has been little planning.
With Omicron on the rise, it’s a worrying time indeed.
All we can do is keep safe and get our boosters when we can.
And screen all of our friends and family before meeting them.
And keep our masks on.
And continue social distancing.
The list goes on.
It’s tiring – this has been a 2 year war against the pandemic so far. Unfortunately, in this case, we really are only as strong as our weakest link.
For more stories like this, read: Are Malaysians Getting Complacent About COVID-19? and Here’s What It’s Really Like Volunteering at a Malaysian PPV Center.
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