KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has kickstarted the country's largest inoculation programme against Covid-19 with the administration of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine.
Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin received the first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine at the Putrajaya District Health Office in Precinct 11.
It was televised live on RTM this afternoon to help reassure Malaysians of the vaccine's safety.
The vaccines arrived at the vaccination centre at 2.20pm.
Muhyiddin, accompanied by Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin and Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba later arrived at the venue at 2.25pm.
The premier went through a MySejahtera scanning and five stations at the vaccination centre, with the first being a screening for symptoms and a temperature check.
He then went through the registration process at the second station, followed by a video briefing which took place in an auditorium at the third station.
After which, he signed an immunisation consent form at the fourth station. Also present was Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.
Muhyiddin then headed to the fifth station where he sat and rolled up his sleeve and received the shot in his left arm at 2.42pm, administered by healthcare nurse Lina Ibrahim who has been a nurse for over 20 years.
The premier remained calm and appeared smiling thoroughout the process. He then held a card saying "Lindung Diri, Lindung Semua" and a consent form.
He was then placed under observation for 15 to 30 minutes should any reactions occur.
Medical and non-medical frontliners will soon join Muhyiddin and Dr Noor Hisham to be vaccinated.
The first batch of Pfizer-BioNTech's Covid-19 vaccine arrived at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) on Feb 21 carrying a total of 312,390 vaccine doses.