Jun 11, 2021

Guide to Covid-19 Vaccination Process for the elderly (Malaysia)

Recently I brought my grandmother for her Covid-19 vaccination and I was swarmed with questions, especially from those who have concern on their elderly going for the vaccination. I hope this information may help some of you. 


Disclaimer: This account is based on my own experience only. Some other vaccination centers may have different processes or procedures, so my reference here may not be applied to all. 


What to bring:

  • Identity Card (original, not photocopy, not damaged card)
  • Medicine - if your old folks taking medicine regularly (vitamins and supplements not included).
  • MySejahtera app - if registered via the app 
  • (Optional) Ball pen with permanent ink (black/blue) to write if you don't want to share the common pen
  • (Optional) Water to drink

The process 

In total, there are 5 stations. Each station is handling the different processes. 

Station 1

The first station is where the officer checking your attendance and confirms if you are registered at the correct time & date. 

It is common to experience long queues at this station because this is the first checking point. I notice that a lot of people didn't confirm their attendance and just head to the vaccination center. They won't be able to serve you as they only provide enough vaccines to those who confirmed their attendance. This first station also serves as a Q&A counter, so those problematic citizens are the ones who hold up the queue. Please be patient and queue accordingly. 

Important tips: Make sure you click “confirm” on your MySejahtera app once the scheduled date appears. After clicking the confirmation, you should see "Click here to scan vaccination location QR when your dependant arrives". 


After confirming your attendance, you will be given a form (to be filled at Station 2) and the vaccination report card. Do guard it with your life as your personal information is on the form and card.


Station 2

Station 2 is the interview counter where they will ask you questions regarding your health condition and medical history. You will need to sign the consent letter to agree to the vaccination at your own free-will. 

IMPORTANT: Especially for the elderly that taking medicine, please bring over the medicine with its packaging to show the medical officers. This is part of the SOP, unfortunately I wasn't aware of it and had a hard time calling my dad & uncles to provide me the names of the medicine that my grandmother taking. 


Station 3

I'm not too sure what is the function of this station, so I will briefly explain the experience. The nurse or medical officers will explain the type of vaccine you will be taking. 

There is a QR code at the counter. Make sure you click on the MySejahtera app and scan it (shown in the picture above). This is a very important step, otherwise the app won't move to the next stage where you can report the side effects.


Station 4

This is the actual vaccination station. 

I had to leave my grandmother at this point because the officers didn't allow me to join her in the room. Do keep in mind that you have the right to ask the nurse to show you the vaccine veil before and after the injection. This is to confirm that they have fully injected the vaccine. 


Station 5

The last station is the observation station. You will need to wait around 15 minutes and the medical staff will check your body temperature and also BP level. If the reading is abnormal, you will be asked to stay for another 15 minutes. If the problem is severe, you might be sent to the nearest hospital. 

From my observation, no one was sent to the hospital and everyone cleared the observation smoothly. 

The side effects might occur much later. So, do prepare some Paracentamols (Pandanol, Uphamol, etc.) if fever developed. Other than that, dizziness and a fast heartbeat are pretty common too. Remember to report the side effects on the MySejahtera app so that on the second dose, they are able to check it. 


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Second dose process:

  • The process is the same, except you will skip the consent station. 
  • Make sure you check the vaccination certificate in MySejahtera. It is located at the bottom of your "Profile" section and not at the "Vaccination" section.



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Some FAQs:

During the Movement Control Order, do you need to apply for travel allowance from the police?

No, if you are staying with your old folks. Just show the police the MySejahtera app on the schedule. However, if you are staying in a different house, you need to apply for a travel permit from the police. 


How long does it take?

The actual process takes less than half-hour from station 2 to station 5. The only problem occurs at the first station as a lot of clueless people holding up the queue. Your luck will be depending on the traffic at the first station. 


Do you need to accompany the elderly?

It depends. If the person knows how to read, write and speak in English or Malay then he or she will be alright. If no, you need to accompany them as the procedure at the consent stage can be tricky. If you have registered him or her as a dependant on MySejahtera vaccination, it is highly recommended that you go along as you need to scan the QR code. Otherwise, the person can also take a photo and send it to you to scan it. 


Overall I think the vaccination process is a breeze. Everything went smoothly. I am impressed and amazed that the health ministry is able to set this up in such a short period of time. And the MySejahtera app is really user-friendly and useful. Even my friend in the US is amazed by our system. 

My grandmother also didn't develop any side effects. She's able to function normally throughout the day.

All the praises aside, I am still waiting for my vaccination schedule. I've been registered since March and I still haven't gotten my slot. I hope I can get it soon as I need to go to the office to work and I want to be protected. 

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