I am speaking of the Covid-19 vaccine.
Since last April, I have been distributing sanitisers and disinfectants, going down to customers’ premises and teaching cleaners how to use what I supply.
I have made it a point to try and keep abreast of developments of anything and everything related to combating the virus.
I am, however, not at all clever in the sciences.
And as I ploughed through the material available in cyberspace, I became immediately aware that one had to be extremely discerning to not be taken in by fake news and the crossfire between one group of conspiracy theorists pitted against the many more taking opposing positions on Covid-19, vaccines and a whole host of other related issues.
Knowing so little, who could I trust to help me make sense of all this, in plain simple English?
I decided to turn my attention to views offered by fellow Malaysians.
At least they were contactable, for clarification.
I first chanced upon an article by Dr. Jeyakumar Devaraj entitled “COVID-19 vaccine: Hold your horses, let us play safe!”.
Dr Jeyakumar drew attention to the difference between the new mRNA (Pfizer and Moderna as instances) and the “old tech” vaccines, cautioning that “the issue of the safety of the different vaccines on offer hasn’t been addressed adequately”.
Dr Jeyakumar also called for “clear information to the public. We should be honest with our people. The authorities should also tell the people that at present we do not have data regarding long term safety of the RNA and DNA vaccines”.
In a letter to Malaysiakini published on 26th January, 2021, Dr Jeyakumar again emphasised in his concluding remarks that “All vaccines have side effects and the public has a right to know of these. Given the level of mistrust of authorities in the West, some of the doubts expressed there will filter over to Malaysia. The best way of dealing with this mistrust is by being honest with our people. The authorities should tell the people what they know, and also what we still do not know about these vaccines.
Then I chanced upon a letter dated 7th February, 2021 that appeared in the New Straits Times entitled “Approve Ivermectin as Plan B for vaccination”.
Ivermectin?
Plan B?
The authors of the letter offered information that “As a result of presentations at the US Senate Hearing (https://youtu.be/k8RyV3VEDKI) on Dec 7, 2020 by Dr Pierre Kory, President of FLCCC (Front Line Covid-19 Critical Care) Alliance, along with Dr Andrew Hill, Researcher & Consultant to World Health Organisation (WHO), the US National Institutes of Health (NIH), on Jan 14, decided to upgrade Ivermectin from the status of “against” for the treatment of Covid-19 to “neither for or against”, thereby making it an option for the doctors concerned to use in preventing and treating Covid-19.
The upgrade by NIH might seem a small step forward for medical legitimacy for Ivermectin to be used against Covid-19, but nevertheless, it was a significant one as it has freed many doctors the option of using Ivermectin against Covid-19 without feeling the undue pressure or burden to do so”.
I was even more confused now.
Ivermectin was now being used by doctors in the US to fight Covid-19?
True or fake news?
I researched Ivermectin now.
And came upon these 2 videos.
This video, if I understand it correctly, speaks of Ivermectin, as part of a cocktail of meds and supplements, as a prophylactic and therapeutic in fighting Covid-19.
This video cautions of what the scientific world does not as yet know and, in this light, the danger of moving forward with the mRNA vaccines.
Have I been enlightened?
Any clearer whether I can take the vaccine with confidence?
Advice my kids?
No!
Where are we now?
The vaccines have arrived and the roll out started yesterday.
The government says it is voluntary whether one is vaccinated.
For now.
And that means, for now, we have a choice.
Choice must be accompanied with the fullest and the most frank disclosure of ALL relevant information, both pros and cons.
- What are the vaccines available globally? What are the differences and pros and cons of each?
- Why has the government opted for the vaccine that is now being offered to the people? What are its pros and cons?
- Are there alternatives to the vaccine?
Tuesday night, I got into this Zoom session,
hoping that the panellists might address these issues, given that the issues are plainly out there in social media, begging for an authoritative clarification.
I was left none the wiser.
I called round to friends yesterday morning.
Can we get a group of experts and host a panel of them online to answer these and the many more questions that so many people have?
Can we have the full and frank disclosure that is so badly needed?
Calls went out.
We have assembled a panel.
Details will follow. Please keep yourselves free on Friday 26th February, at 8.00pm.
The People's Parliament 
Posted on February 25, 2021
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