Ng gets his blood drawn for a health screening.
KUCHING: Two Covid-19 vaccine trial volunteers here believe that vaccination is the best way to overcome the pandemic as the people will not be able to stay in isolation forever.
Sarawak Association for Peoples’ Aspiration (Sapa) president Dominique Ng said he hoped the vaccine would be successful, affordable, and accessible to all Sarawakians.
“I have a Bachelor of Science in biomedical subjects, so I understand the importance of such a trial. Without healthy people who come forward to volunteer, we would never know if the vaccine is effective or safe,” he said when contacted yesterday.
“I am very proud to be selected for the Covid-19 vaccine trial being conducted in Sarawak. Certainly I will be a bit anxious of the side effects, and I enter this with eyes open.”
Ng went to the CRC SGH for a health screening and blood test yesterday, and will get the injection, which could either be the vaccine or placebo, on his next visit.
He added that he was briefed thoroughly on what to expect, what will be done, and what he is expected to do.
He pointed out he was pleased to find there is a very strict regimen and procedures.
On his family’s reaction to his volunteering, Ng said his children are mostly grown up and his wife understood his decision.
“It is very important to me, and ought to be done. I am a responsible citizen, and as a leader of Sarawakians who leads by example. As leaders, we are quite ready to come forward, and let citizens know it’s safe and something we ought to face bravely,” he said.
See Chee How
Batu Lintang assemblyman See Chee How, who also went to SGH for screening yesterday, said he will be going for his first of two injections today (Feb 5), if his Covid-19 swab test is negative.
The injection is given in two doses with a 14-day interval.
See also signed an ‘Informed Consent Form’, which is a pre-requisite to be confirmed as a volunteer to take part in the clinical trial.
“I am privileged to be participating in this important vaccine clinical trial. It was explained to me that a total of 34,020 persons will be enrolled from participating countries – South America, Southeast Asia, and Central Europe. Amongst them, there are 3,000 persons recruited from Malaysia.
“I must applaud the National Institute for Clinical Research and SGH for their bold decision to take part in this vaccine clinical trial, for the interests of health and safety of all Malaysians,” he said when contacted.
See said even though this Phase 3 clinical trial is still investigatory, to evaluate the efficacy and safety of this particular SARs-CoV-2 vaccine, it is crucial for Malaysians and Sarawakians to step forward to participate in it.
He expressed his highest regard for the over 400 applicants who registered their interest to be volunteers in the clinical trial.
See said he decided to volunteer as vaccination is the only way to break the chain of Covid-19 transmission, to end the global pandemic, give protection and safety to communities, save lives, and expedite the economic recovery of all countries, including Malaysia, and crucially for Sarawak.
“Nobody can say that this is the beginning of the end of this pandemic. Many are sceptical, because of the emergence of more infectious variants of the virus and vaccine shortages. However, nobody is questioning the need for vaccination, as soon and as much as possible,” he said.
See said his family supported his decision, and he has no fears about the injection.
He said it would be ideal to vaccinate everybody, but when a sufficient proportion of the population is immune to the infectious disease, this can stop the spread from person to person, what is termed as an umbrella of immunity is achieved and the country will be able to look forward to return to normalcy.
“I therefore pray that the vaccines that are ordered by our federal and state government will arrive soonest and that more than 70 per cent of our population will be vaccinated quickly, so that we can protect the vulnerable who cannot and will not be vaccinated, or those in which the vaccine will not be effective, thus protecting all Malaysian and Sarawakians.”
Sarawak’s clinical trial for the Covid-19 vaccine sponsored by the Institute of Molecular Biology of China Academy of Medical Sciences commenced on Wednesday with two volunteers receiving their jabs at the Clinical Research Centre (CRC) of the Sarawak General Hospital (SGH).
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