There is one less thing to worry about now that both my children have received their Covid-19 vaccine shots.
My son, Owen, received both doses, while my daughter Carra, received her first shot on Wednesday.
That is a relief with school due to open early next month.
While I am still a little wary about sending them to school, the fact that they have some form of protection from the coronavirus gives me a little peace of mind.
It also helps that most adults are vaccinated, reducing the risks further, although we know we still have to be vigilant.
A shout out to Sunway Medical Centre for the professional manner with which it handled the vaccination programme for the kids.
We arrived early for my daughter’s appointment, only to see a big crowd. We braced for a long wait.
I dropped off the home minister and daughter, and drove off to the other end of the centre to get parking. After getting a parking spot, I walked back to the vaccination centre.
When I finally arrived at the right tower, I was pleasantly surprised to see a staff “directing” traffic as Sunway had assigned a dedicated elevator for the students and their parents.
While waiting for my turn, there was another delightful surprise as I received a message that the vaccination process was over, including correcting my daughter’s MyKad number on their list.
There was no need for me to go up, so I wandered around the building, looking for food.
I also looked at the school’s Parent-Teacher Association WhatsApp chat group, and everyone was full of praise for Sunway.
Later, the home minister said: “Everything was efficient. When I asked why Carra’s MySejahtera mobile application had not updated the appointment (we received the date and time from the school), we learnt that her MyKad details in the list were wrong.
“It did not take them long to rectify the error, with the person in charge saying, ‘Do not worry, that is why I am here… to assist’. I am impressed.”
Carra only had a mild fever and soreness after her shot. Most of her classmates reported no side effects, but a couple had high fever.
Owen, who received his second jab on Oct 2, had a slight fever then, but no issues after the first jab.
So parents, if you have yet to register your children for the vaccine, please do so quickly since school will reopen soon.
DISCREPANCIES IN COVID-19 NUMBERS
Not for the first time, there were some discrepancies in the reported Covid-19 numbers.
Previously, there were instances when the numbers were off by one or three, but there was a 1,268 difference in the reported recoveries between Wednesday and Thursday.
On Wednesday, 2,297,289 patients had recovered from Covid-19. The next day, another 7,562 were declared free of the virus. However, the total given was 2,303,583, which was 1,268 less than it should be.
When this website reached out to the Health Ministry, the official answer, just like the last time, was that the tally was correct. And that there were some technical errors earlier.
If we follow the “official” count, it means there were 59,455 recoveries in the past week. That took the total to 2,311,213.
There were 43,189 new cases, making it 2,420,222 in total, and 542 deaths. Total number of fatalities stands at 28,312.
Worldwide, there are 243.6 million cases and 4.95 million fatalities.
THROWBACK
I received this via WhatsApp. Who remembers doing this?
TRAFFIC IS BACK TO NORMAL
With Malaysia’s Covid-19 vaccination rates above 90 per cent, we are getting back to ‘normalcy’. People can cross borders, businesses are opening up, but sadly, traffic is horrible. And finding parking is also a chore.
Far from whining, I am just glad we may finally have got the pandemic under control. I hope I have not spoken too soon.
YOGA FOR EVERYONE
Shefights Gym is organising an open-air yoga session at TTDI Park next Saturday. Best of all, it is free, but space is limited, so sign up now.
HEARTBREAKING
SPAGHETTI WITH LENTILS
Here is a recipe from American actor Stanley Tucci. I have yet to try it, but if I do, I would most likely add some meat!
ONOMATOPOEIA
Only John Prine can compose a song called Onomatopoeia. In case you do not know, onomatopoeia is the formation of a word from the sound associated with what is named after. For example, boom, tick-tock, knock, meow, and bang.
Hopefully, my kids will learn this word when they go back to school.
Until next week, stay safe.
