After more than two years being ravaged by the coronavirus pandemic, the world saw a respite last year, as nations reopened their borders and economies were heading towards a much anticipated recovery.

Unfortunately, just as the world has just started to remove the face masks, thinking that the pandemic has finally come to an end, the virus sweeps across the planet once again, with the number of new infections staging a dramatic rebound.

Health ministry statistics show that 6,796 new cases were reported in week 48, almost doubling to 12,757 cases in week 49 (Dec 3 to 9). Fortunately, no new virus variants have been detected in this country so far.

An overwhelming majority of new cases have reported only minor symptoms and do not need to be hospitalised.

As a matter of fact, Covid-19 cases have not only surged rapidly in Malaysia but also other regional countries such as Singapore and Indonesia.

It is a reality now that coronavirus infections are picking up, and we therefore cannot evade the question of how to tackle the threat from the virus.

In view of the rapid return of Covid-19, the Malaysian health ministry under the new minister Dr. Zulkefly Ahmad has quickly jumped into action, saying the government will very soon announce the new guidelines on booster vaccination, especially for the more vulnerable in our society.

Vaccination has always been our most potent “weapon” against the virus. In fact, it is because of the widespread availability of vaccines that the world has been able to gradually walk out of the gloom of the pandemic.

Although the vaccines will not completely prevent an individual from being infected, at least they help drastically reduce the incidence of severe illness and death, offering a certain degree of protection for all of us.

There were voices of opposition during the initial stage of vaccine administration, with many adopting a wait-and-see attitude. But thanks to the effort of the authorities and medical professionals, vaccination rate has been rising steadily.

We used to work together in unison to successfully suppress the pandemic, and we can surely do it again this time!

As of this Sunday, 27.55 million or 84.4% Malaysians have received at least two doses of the vaccine against Covid-19.

Despite the high vaccination rate, public acceptance of a booster dose has been lukewarm.

Health ministry statistics show that only 16,346,778 or 50.1% Malaysians have received their first booster dose, while a mere 828,210 or 2.5% of the country’s population have received a second booster dose.

As the efficacy of vaccine will fade over time, it is essential for those in high-risk groups to go for an additional booster dose in the face of the threat from the virus.

But as the public are largely indifferent towards a booster dose, the authorities must step up public education to allay their fears and concerns. Members of the public must take heed of the advice from medical professionals and not hearsay.

We need to emphasise here that vaccination (including booster dose) is a major solution to tackle the intensifying pandemic, and if the public are unresponsive, the effort to contain the virus will be significantly thwarted.

Besides vaccination, Malaysians should also take preventive measures. Still remember the SOPs that we used to be so familiar with, such as masking, sanitisation, social distancing…?

With school holidays, Christmas and New Year just around the corner, many Malaysians have planned their trips home or visiting friends. Massive crowds and gatherings are anticipated everywhere.

The health ministry is closely monitoring the situation, and may re-institute mandatory masking if necessary. As a matter of fact, we should not wait until the ministry enforces it, and should take the initiative to put on face masks for the protection of not only ourselves, but also our families and friends.

The thing is, we need to have the awareness, look at the current uptrend with seriousness, and take the necessary actions to stop the virus.