SINGAPORE: Malaysians working in Singapore have started receiving the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine.
The jab recipients are mostly workers in sectors which have been given priority for the vaccine by the Singapore government.
Some of the Malaysians have shared their experience of being inoculated on the "Malaysian-Singapore Border Crossers" Facebook page, which now has almost 82,000 members.
According to Imra Astata Ibrahim, who works in the marine sector, he took the first injection on Jan 13 and will take the second dose after 21 days.
When contacted by Bernama, Imra Astata, 40, who is renting a room in Jurong West here, said he did not hesitate to get the vaccine with 10 of his Malaysian colleagues.
The father of three has high hopes that by getting vaccinated, it will be easier for him to travel back and forth to Johor as before.
"Who knows - there might be an understanding between the two countries to facilitate the movement of commuters who have received this vaccine," he said.
Imra Astata only returned to the republic on Sept 24, 2020 after strict measures at both borders were introduced in March last year to curb the pandemic.
He said before taking the vaccine, he and his colleagues were informed of possible side effects.
"So far, my friends and I are healthy after taking the jab. Only on the first day, I did feel a slight numbness and pain at the injection area," said Imra Astata, who hails from Johor.
The Singapore government has made provisions for all Singaporeans and long-term residents in Singapore to get vaccinated by end-2021, barring unforeseen disruptions to vaccine shipments.
Singapore received the first shipment of Pfizer-BioNTech's Covid-19 vaccine on Dec 21.
To ensure vaccine accessibility and enable the republic to achieve a high rate of inoculation, the vaccination is offered free of charge.
According to the republic's Ministry of Health, as of Jan 12, 2021, more than 6,200 individuals have received their first dose of the vaccine here.
The number is expected to rise substantially in the coming weeks as it continues to ramp up its vaccination operations, it said.
In line with recommendations by the Expert Committee on Covid-19 Vaccination to prioritise vaccinations of groups that are most at risk, Singapore began vaccinating healthcare workers progressively from Dec 30, 2020. - BERNAMA