A frontliner receives a dose of the Pfizer BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine. – Bernama file photo
KUCHING (May 4): A large number of respondents in an ongoing Borneo Post Online survey have so far favoured having the AstraZeneca (AZ) Covid-19 vaccine as an option for Sarawakians but some of them might not want to be vaccinated with it themselves.
Launched at 3.30pm via the Internet and social media, the survey had received more than 400 responses at 7pm. It asked respondents if the vaccine should be an option in Sarawak and if they want to be vaccinated with it.
More than 69 per cent of responses were for having the AZ Covid-19 vaccine as an option in the state, but to the question of whether the respondents want to be vaccinated with it, more than 45 per cent replied “no”.
The Sarawak government had last week decided that it would not accept the vaccine in the state following public concern over its possible side effects, which includes blood clots.
This comes after Putrajaya removed the vaccine from the national Covid-19 immunisation plan and made it available to the public only through a voluntary programme.
The voluntary programme was rolled out on Sunday and in about three hours, all 268,000 appointment slots were filled.
There are now calls on the state government to reconsider its decision on the AZ vaccine and to offer it as an option for Sarawakians. The Covid-19 vaccines currently being administered in the state are from Pfizer-BioNTech and Sinovac.
You can take part in the Borneo Post Online survey here: Borneo Post Online Survey: Sarawakians and AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine
The survey will end at 3pm tomorrow.