PULAU AMAN: Residents of Pulau Aman here, an islet off the coast of Seberang Prai Selatan, are all smiles when health workers visited their village for the Covid-19 outreach vaccination programme.
Today, some 156 residents in the tiny village of 46 houses with a population of 235 people, received their first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine. The islet is accessible by a five-minute boat ride.
Pulau Aman remains a green zone and has been free from Covid-19 infection ever since the novel coronavirus hit Malaysia early last year.
Among those who received the first jab today was Salwah Md Saad, 51, who was left bedridden due to a hip fracture following a fall at home on Dec 13, last year.
According to the mother of four, she has been hoping to get the Covid-19 vaccine to better protect her and her loved ones, but has no clue how to go about it due to her condition.
"My husband (Sharazali Abdul Rahin, 63) is supposed to go for vaccination in Jawi on July 22. I am eager to follow him, but not with my present condition. I had thought that I would never receive the vaccination jab.
"I did not expect health workers to come to my house today to give me the jab. I am so relieved to receive the first dose. I urge everyone out there to go for vaccination as it not only protects you, but those around you as well.
"I did not feel anything. No pain. Nothing. Everything went well," she said when met at her home this afternoon.
Three of her children, in their 20s, also received their first dose today. Her youngest child who is 16, has not received the vaccine.
A total of 15 health workers set up a temporary vaccination centre at the community hall on the island.
Earlier, SK Pulau Aman security guard, Ishak Man, 53, became the first person in the village to receive his vaccination.
Initially nervous, he was all calm after being administered with the Covid-19 vaccine jab.
"I am very happy that the health workers came to us instead of us having to go to them. Unlike others, we need to take the boat out of the islet before reaching the nearest vaccination centre (PPV) in Jawi about 15km away. It could have easily taken us about three hours to go through the whole process, if we did it ourselves.
"With the health workers coming to us, it is so much more convenient. All of us in this village are thankful and grateful to the Health Ministry for making life easier for us.
"Although I did feel anxious at first, but it was a nice kind of anxious," said Ishak, who was accompanied by his wife Sharifah Ishak, 48, who also received her jab. Their three children also tagged along.
The couple had only registered for vaccination with the help of a relative on June 10 and did not expect to be vaccinated today. Both of them felt fine after getting the first dose.
Meanwhile, sisters Salihah Itam, 63, who is handicapped in her left hand following a fall when she was very young, and Noriah Itam, 67, were also vaccinated today.
"I was already worried about who would take us to the PPV in Jawi for vaccination as we do not have our own transport. With the health workers coming here, all my worries are gone.
"This is so convenient," said Salihah, who also suffers from diabetes and high blood pressure.
Health workers would return to the village again on July 29 to complete the vaccination process.
When met, public health medicine specialist, Dr Chow Sze Loon, who is an officer from the Seberang Prai Selatan district health office, said the mobile outreach Covid-19 immunisation programme had been making its rounds in remote areas since June.
"We will continue to carry out such mobile outreach programmes on a weekly basis to reach out to targeted communities," he said, adding that they had reached out to some 432 people since June.