Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin says the government is considering having a deadline – he suggested June – for Malaysians to register for the Covid-19 vaccination. He says this will ensure a smooth immunisation process.

“I proposed that we might need to set a deadline; we cannot open (the registration) forever. For example, let’s say if we close by June, those who did not register by the end of the month will not get the vaccination.

“This will ease the immunisation committee to plan everything in detail,” he said in Sabah on March 22.

While I share his concern that the immunisation process should move smoothly, I do not agree with any move to have a cut-off time for registration. That would, in effect, be a diktat.

Also, if a deadline is to be set, the government must spell out exactly what will happen after the deadline. Would it mean those who don’t register won’t get the vaccine? Would it mean those who are not vaccinated would face some penalty or be prevented from doing something or other?

If the authorities go to the ground, they would realise that not everyone is comfortable about being vaccinated.

Let’s face it: How would they be confident if you tell them that after being vaccinated, they have to continue doing everything that they are doing now – wearing masks, practising physical distancing and hand hygiene, and registering with the MySejahtera app when they enter any office or business premise?

Some people will be ready to believe the authorities when they say the vaccination is safe; others will be willing to believe the medical experts; yet others may need to see proof that the vaccination is indeed safe.

It will take time.

And we have time, for it’s not as if you register today and get vaccinated the following week. The vaccines are still coming in and we have a limited number of medical staff to give the jabs. So, vaccinate those who are ready for it first.

Muhyiddin himself admitted that there were still many uncertainties about the vaccination when he said: “We also do not know whether we need to take the vaccination annually or only once (in our lifetime). So, we are not sure of some things yet. But our target is still 80% of the population (in Malaysia) to be vaccinated.”

We are aware that even medical experts are figuring out certain aspects of the Covid-19 pandemic, the virus – including its variants – that causes it and the efficacy of the vaccines and their side-effects.

People know that this is not like previous vaccines which were tested and tested again before being given to the public. Comparatively, the Covid-19 vaccines are somewhat of a rush job. So there will be concerns, especially when there are reports that some of those vaccinated died soon after.

The government should show the doubtful that those who have already got the shots are doing well. For instance, some of those who have had their jabs should go on TV or the radio to tell their stories – not immediately – but about a month or so after getting vaccinated.

The government can use research findings to bolster the confidence of the public. In announcing the Covid-19 figures or SOP-related stuff, minister Ismail Sabri or health director-general Noor Hisham Abdullah could also inform the public about what medical experts say about the vaccines and how effective the vaccines have been in other nations.

In this regard, the government’s move to establish a RM10 million compensation fund to provide cash assistance to any Covid-19 vaccine recipient who suffers severe reactions due to the inoculations, is a good move as people would know that in the event something does go wrong, the government will take care of them – at least to some extent.

Under the scheme, those who suffer serious side effects that require lengthy treatment in hospital stand to receive RM50,000 and those who suffer permanent impairments or death will get RM500,000.

The amount is not realistic. At today’s prices, a week at a private hospital is enough to burn RM50,000 if you have to undergo scans and operations. To really make people feel good, the government should undertake to foot the entire medical bill of those suffering side-effects.

Also, remember that not everyone has internet connections to register online. Given the distances some people in rural parts of Sabah and Sarawak have to travel, it may be unfair to impose conditions such as a deadline. The best method is to reach out to them. Let teams of doctors and staff go down to interior areas to inoculate the villagers.

Remember too that not everyone may want to be inoculated. To make it mandatory would be interfering with individual choice in a situation where there is no guarantee that nothing will go wrong.

The best way of dealing with the issue is to continue feeding confidence in the people that the vaccine is safe and effective.

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of FMT.