KUALA PILAH, June 12 — The alarming rise of Covid-19 cases has raised awareness among senior citizens in rural areas to get vaccinated, despite having to travel long distances to a vaccination centre (PPV).
Mahani Zakaria said her children convinced her to get vaccinated by helping her to get registered on the MySejahtera application, because she was not proficient in using the application.
64-year-old Mahani, from Juasseh, said that she received her first dose at the PPV in Johol health clinic yesterday, after travelling for about 30 minutes accompanied by her daughter-in-law.
“I was assisted by my children and daughter-in-law to get vaccinated. Without them, it would be difficult for me to travel about 31 kilometres from the house to the PPV. Thus far, I have no side effects from the vaccine, and the healthcare personnel were also very nice,” she told Bernama.
Mahani said she also realised the importance of the vaccine through the news on television, as well as by reading a newspaper, thus not being influenced by the vaccine rumours, and asking her children for explanations.
Sharing a similar sentiment, 70-year-old Mohd Azalli Abd Malek, said that he and his wife have completed both doses, with the help of their children, in terms of registration for vaccination via MySejahtera.
Mohd Azalli, from Kamping Ibol, Terachi, said they would consult their children if they read any misinformation about the vaccination on social media or mobile phones.
Both husband and wife received the vaccine at the Dato’ Bahaman Shamsuddin hall in Kuala Pilah, yesterday.
Meanwhile, Maria Hakim, a 50-year-old housewife from the Orang Asli community in Kampung Panchor, Jempol, said that she realised the importance of the vaccination via information she received from news, and promotional videos on television.
She was assisted by healthcare staff with her registration for vaccination, and she received her first dose of the vaccine at the Jempol district office hall, Bandar Seri Jempol, yesterday.
Maria also expressed her hope that healthcare personnel should visit the Orang Asli settlements to assist the elderly to register and receive vaccination, since the journey to the vaccination centre takes about 40 minutes. — Bernama
