What's the SOP for administering vaccine jab?

(Published in the Star 24 May 2021)

Of late, several video clips have been making the rounds on social media, alleging that some people were injected with empty syringes or that insufficient doses were administered. Although at least one of such video clips had since been found to be a case of misunderstanding, others are still awaiting investigations. This has naturally alarmed the public, prompting some to take precautionary measures when they turned up for their vaccination. One of my friends, a retired dentist, asked to see the bottle and the syringe after her jab, as she wanted to take photos, but was refused and told to respect the nurse’s job! A very delicate situation indeed. Another friend who went to another vaccination center had no such problem. The nurse was very professional, showed her the vial and syringe both before and after the jab.

Such different experiences at two vaccination centers beg the question: Does the SOP for the nurses who administer jabs require them to show the vial and syringe before and after each jab? If yes, well and good, ALL nurses should just follow the SOP and no questions will be asked. If no, I think it is high time the authority reviews the SOP to ensure such transparency in the vaccination process.

In conclusion, it must be emphasized that although we have utter respect for and confidence in our thousands of dedicated frontliners, there is no denial that such malpractice though rare, can happen, as has already been found out in some other countries.