Malaysians working in Singapore have begun to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine, Malaysian media reported.

They are largely workers in sectors that have been prioritised for vaccination by the Singapore government.

Several have since taken to a Facebook group known as 'Malaysia-Singapore Border Crossers' to share their experiences of taking the vaccine.

Jumped at chance to take the vaccine

Bernama ("M'sians in Singapore thrilled to get Covid-19 jab") further quoted a Malaysian who works in the marine sector, Imra Astata Ibrahim, as saying that he did not hesitated in getting the vaccine along with 10 of his colleagues.

They also were warned about possible side-effects beforehand.

Imra said:

"So far, my friends and I are healthy after taking the jab. Only on the first day, I did feel a slight numbness and pain at the injection area."

Imra added that he received his first jab on Jan. 13 and will receive the second dose after 21 days.

He also voiced his hope that the vaccine will make the task of travelling back and forth between Johor easier, and that both Malaysia and Singapore can facilitate the movement of vaccinated commuters.

The worker is currently living in a rented room at Jurong West and had last arrived in Singapore on Sep. 24, 2020.

Vaccine priority includes migrant workers

According to the Ministry of Health (MOH), the construction, marine and process sector, as well as migrant workers, have been prioritised for the Covid-19 vaccine as they have been identified as jobs or settings where risk of a super-spreading event is high.

In addition, migrant workers will also receive the vaccine for free, according to an interview by CNCB Asia with Minister for Foreign Affairs, Vivian Balakrishnan.

When asked about the vaccine programme for migrant workers and whether such workers also fall into the essential workers category, Vivian replied:

 "From a professional and medical perspective, a human being living in Singapore is a human being equally at risk of either getting infected or infecting others. So this is the reason why we do not discriminate on the basis of nationality, for all people domiciled, living, working, in Singapore."

Vivian added,

"We have announced that we will make it free. To answer your question on the foreign workers, they will get access to the vaccine on the same terms as our local people, which means it will be free, and the priority will be on the basis of risk and need."

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Top photos by MCI