“Thank
You! We have received your submission.
 |
| Posters outside the Persada International Convention Centre in Johor Baru |
For
any enquiries, please call Tel 1800-888-828, Opening Hours 7am to 11pm Monday
to Saturday; Sunday Closed.”
This
was the acknowledgement I received after I submitted my online application for
the Astra Zeneca vaccination appointment.
It
was a stormy day when my friend, Wei Leng, called during lunch with an anxious
question about the online application which opened for submission at 12 noon.
 |
| Mum received her first dose May 3 |
After
her battle with cancer seven years ago, Wei Leng recently consulted her
oncologist who gave the greenlight for her to receive the Covid19 vaccination
when it was offered.
So
I paused from eating my lunch to explain the step-by-step procedure to her but
because she was using her handphone for the submission, it was a challenge to
talk her through the process while we were talking on that same phone.
So
she hung up and phoned me again using another telephone so that I could guide
her to make the submission on her handphone.
Prior
to this, my brother and sister-in-law had urged my eldest sister and I to apply
for the Astra Zeneca vaccination when it was offered but we hesitated to do so
simply because at that point, our focus was on managing our mother who had just
received her second dose of Pfizer vaccine.
 |
| Mum received her second dose May 24 |
While
we were busy managing mum and her ailments, we did not think about ourselves yet. And
when the option for AZ vaccination was available, we were in no hurry to
register our submissions.
The
call from Wei Leng that afternoon shifted the gears and accelerated our
position from being complacent about ourselves to helping her to register and
while we were on the line, to also register ourselves.
While
I rushed to finish my lunch to head over to my desk and switch on the laptop, I
told Wei Leng to read the form on her handphone and send me her personal
details as required on that form.
 |
| A wide tent was set up across the road in front of the Persada International Convention Centre |
My
sister picked a date – well pass the two weeks after mum received her second
dose of vaccination – so that we could feel more confident that her physical
ailments should by then be reduced, as she grew stronger day-by-day.
I had
received the personal details from Wei Leng and she was thrilled when I
successfully submitted the registration on her behalf.
My
sister and I also submitted our registrations successfully and we picked the
same day for our appointments so that we could go together.
After
this first step, we waited patiently to receive that important phone message to
confirm our appointments.
 |
| Observing physical distance at the entrance |
It
was late night while I was comfortably in bed when I received a WhatsApp message
from Wei Leng who asked me to check on MySejahtera quickly because she just
discovered that her appointment has been confirmed.
A
quick check showed that my sister and I had also received similar messages to
confirm our appointments for our requested date, with a time difference of just
half an hour.
It
was uncanny that both Wei Leng and I had our appointments scheduled at the very
same time, 10.30am, so we could comfortably go to the vaccination together.
This
confirmation message started an exciting countdown to our vaccination date.
 |
| Scanning for my temperature at the lobby |
In
Johor Baru, the AZ vaccination centre was arranged in the heart of the city at
the Persada International Convention Centre.
Then
we read news updates about the successful dry-run ahead of the first day when
the centre commenced operations along with advice about car parking facilities
at nearby malls and that complimentary transport was available from there to
the vaccination centre.
A
few days after the centre started operations, we took a drive to the city to
recce the parking facilities nearby and had a closer look at what was happening
outside the centre, just to be prepared when we headed over for our
appointment.
I
reassured Wei Leng that by the time our date rolled around, any operational hiccups
at the centre should by then, be ironed out and our experience would simply be
smooth sailing.
 |
| Volunteers were on hand to help with completing the Consent form |
It
was drizzling when we picked Wei Leng so we were each sheltered by an umbrella
for a short walk to the vaccination centre from the open carpark next to the
Galleria Kotaraya mall.
Vehicles
that offered complimentary rides to the centre were parked outside the mall and
when a driver offered us a ride, we politely declined because we preferred a
brisk walk rather than that short ride.
In
the distance, we saw wide tents set in place for drivers to drop-off and pick
up passengers as well a corridor cordoned off for people with appointments to
enter.
After
the mandatory MySejahtera scanning process, we were waved on to walk the path
towards the main entrance of the Persada International Convention Centre.
 |
| At the desk for consultation with the doctor |
Lines
and boxes were labelled on the ground for each arrival to keep their physical
distance so we inched our way into the lobby where we stopped for the
temperature scan.
The
volunteers stationed here must have overheard our chit-chat in English because
they gave us the English version of the Consent forms with our Ticket Queue
numbers and directed us to proceed into the main hall.
We
were immediately ushered to rows of chairs and volunteers greeted us in Malay
as they approached to help us with completing the forms.
 |
| Heading into the cubicle for our vaccination |
We
both sat down and as I was storing my long umbrella safely under the chair, I suddenly
heard her utter in surprise, “English?”
I could
not hide my amusement because it seemed that she did not expect to see an
English version form. I asked if she could manage, to which she replied, “Yes”
and proceeded to complete the form.
With
our forms completed, the volunteers checked our Queue Numbers before we were
ushered to the next station for the doctor’s consultation.
 |
| Scanning the QR code provided |
While
the doctor could read our names on the Identity Cards to confirm that my sister
and I were in fact sisters, she spent more time consulting with “the other
sister” Wei Leng, who brought along her prescribed medication to show the
doctor.
Armed
with our forms and Queue Numbers, we moved to the next station where the
volunteers ushered us into the same cubicle to receive our jabs.
My
sister wore a sleeveless blouse while Wei Leng and I deliberately chose tops
with loose-fitting short sleeves that we could conveniently roll up.
 |
| Finally to the Observation section |
Later
I read what was written on this sticker, which was the time we received our
jabs.
I saw
the prepared syringes that rested on kidney dishes and observed how they
maintained a cool demeanor while he announced the name of the dose and smoothly
administered each injection on our proffered arms.
I
was the last among the three of us to receive the dose and with a cheery wish,
we were ushered onward to the Observation station and invited to sit among
others in rows of widely spaced chairs.
It
was less than 30 minutes since we arrived and we were by then, under
observation after receiving our first dose of AZ, and waiting for our Queue
Numbers to be called.
 |
| At the Observation section |
As
the chairs in front of us became vacant, the volunteers asked us to moved
forward to those seats and we cooperated each time in a weird game of Musical
Chairs, until our Queue Numbers were called.
At
the desk, the staff asked a few routine questions and gave instructions to
complete the questionnaire in the MySejahtera app for any symptoms or
side-effects after 24 hours. And that was it.
 |
| A photo memento with my sister |
In
the excitement of reaching the centre this morning, I neglected to take in the
sight of the towering Sultan Ibrahim building, perched on Bukit Timbalan.
So
on the return, I made up for it by taking a good look – through the drizzle –
to appreciate its majestic grandeur.
Back
in the car, we all agreed that we had a pleasant experience and that our
much-anticipated vaccination excursion was smoothly completed within the hour.
A
friend who had received her AZ first dose a few days ahead, told me that she
could hardly sleep after the jab so I was ready to catch up on some light
reading and television binge watching.
 |
| A photo memento with Wei Leng |
With
an increasing number of virus variants being identified, getting vaccinated
just gives us an extra layer of protection against this unseen enemy.
It
is reassuring to learn from reliable news sources that scientists have found
that in the unfortunate event of an infection, the symptoms that occur in
vaccinated people will not be as severe or life-threatening.
Now
that we have taken the first step for better protection, we are still strictly obeying
the set of Standard Operating Procedures, if and when we were out.
So
while waiting for the appointment to receive our next dose, we are staying home
to help our community to break the chain of infection in this serious battle against the Covid19 virus.
