40 healthcare workers have been infected with Covid-19 upon completion of their coronavirus vaccine shots.
In a Facebook post, Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said of the total, 31 healthcare workers were infected less than two weeks of the second dose of inoculation, while another nine were infected more than two weeks after the second dose.
“Another 142 healthcare workers were also infected after their first dose.
“More importantly all had less severe symptoms. It is clear that we can still be infected after completion of our vaccination but perhaps less in severity,” he said.
Dr Noor Hisham added although vaccine gives a glimmer of hope to fight against Covid-19; “Make no mistake that we can relax all the public health measures after vaccination.
“No one is safe until everyone is safe. Please continue to comply with all the precautionary public health measures, namely 3Cs— crowded areas, confined spaces, and close conversation, and the 3Ws — wash, wear, and warn.”
The government launched the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (NIP) on Feb 24.
Under Phase 1, vaccines are being administered for free to medical and non-medical frontliners.
The second phase of the NIP is slated to begin on April 19, involving senior citizens aged 65 and above, the high-risk groups, and the disabled involving some 9.4 million people, while Phase 3 from May to February next year will cover both Malaysians and non-citizens aged 18 and above, targetting more than 13.7 million people.
SOURCE : NST
