GEORGE TOWN: Hundreds of unvaccinated people crowded a government clinic here, no thanks to inaccurate news that the clinic was offering walk-in vaccination.

       What happened in reality was that about 50 people did not show up or rejected their AstraZeneca vaccination appointment yesterday, hence the clinic in Bandar Baru Ayer Itam had to call up people on the waiting list, including foreign university students.

       “Word got out that we were offering shots to walk-ins, and people, especially foreigners, crowded our clinic,” said Northern District senior assistant medical officer E. Kalimuthu.

       It was a special vaccination programme for petty traders and hawkers. The state intends to vaccinate about 12,000 of them by Sept 2.

       Kalimuthu said about 320 people registered for the vaccination at this clinic and since about 50 people didn’t show up, the medical staff asked those who had come if any of their friends or relatives needed the vaccination.

       He said while it is heartening to see that so many want to be vaccinated, people should check to see if such messages were true.

       “We definitely don’t want a cluster here at a time when cases are spiking,” Kalimuthu added.

       After dispensing the 50-odd shots, the clinic had to turn away others who had gathered at the closed gate.

       A check by The Star found a number of foreigners trying to get in, but they were stopped by guards.

       Most of those who showed up were in their 30s to mid-40s.

       Indonesian, Siti Latifah, 46, one of the “early birds”, said she and her friend Sujanah, 45, stayed just two blocks away and rushed to the clinic after receiving the messages.

       “We are lucky we managed to register and now we are waiting to be called,” said Siti, who works at a shopping complex nearby.

       University student Rajiv Chandra, 30, from Bangladesh, received a text message which read: “Dear students, please be at the Bandar Baru Health Clinic for free vaccination and bring your passport.”

       “I just registered and will be called in a short while. At least two of my friends are already inside getting their first dose,” he said.