And all the frontliners expressed confidence in the vaccine.
Dr Chan Weng Kian, who was among the early frontliners to receive the jab, said it was a painless experience and he did not experience any side effects.
“To be honest, there is nothing to be afraid of and I plan to continue my work immediately. I do not plan to take any medical leave after receiving the jab,” he told FMT.
Sharing a similar experience, Dr Nurul Bahirah said she felt lucky and grateful to be among the first to receive the vaccination.
“I was scared initially but after receiving the vaccine, I feel more confident to continue my work as a frontliner.”
Dr Girishankar Samarasam lauded the vaccination process, saying it went smoothly.
“The whole process took me less than an hour. It was quick, easy and there was nothing to be afraid of.
“I urge members of the public to start registering for the vaccination through the MySejahtera app immediately.”
According to vaccination coordinator Dr Ahmad Sohaib Mohd Dan, all frontliners passed through five stations at the vaccination centre, including one to check on side effects.
“The first station is for registration followed by the immunisation consent letter and briefing at the second station.
“After being vaccinated at station three, all personnel will proceed to the fourth station where they will be monitored for 15 to 30 minutes for possible side effects.
“If there are no side effects, they are given vaccination cards and an appointment is arranged for their second vaccination jab.
“Until now, no side effects have been reported by our frontliners after the injection. So far so good,” he told reporters when met at the centre.
Sohaib said the vaccination programme was split into two sessions, morning and evening, with 48 being vaccinated during each session.
He estimated about 1,000 MAEPS frontline workers will be inoculated with the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine by the end of next week.
Of that number, 500 are healthcare workers and the rest are from multiple government agencies, including police, army and other civil servants who work at MAEPS.