This study evaluates 21-day risk of myocarditis/pericarditis following COVID-19 vaccination among those aged 12 years and older in Malaysia. We used data from nationwide COVID-19 vaccine registry linked to hospital episode database to identify individuals vaccinated with BNT162b2, CoronaVac, or ChAdOx1 and hospitalised for myocarditis/pericarditis between 1 February 2021 and 28 February 2022. There were 87 myocarditis/pericarditis cases identified within 1-21 days after vaccination. Most cases were reported following BNT16262 vaccination (77.0%) with absolute risk of 0.33 cases/100,000 vaccinated persons or 1.73 per million doses administered. Highest risk was observed following second dose and in younger, male individuals. The risk of myocarditis/pericarditis following CoronaVac and ChAdOx1 were much lower compared to BNT162b2. The findings on higher risk observed among younger following mRNA vaccine were consistent with literature and important for targeted surveillance.
Access to vaccinations is crucial for everyone in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, regardless of migration or refugee status. This study explored COVID-19 prevention knowledge, attitudes, and vaccination challenges among refugees and irregular migrants from Myanmar in Malaysia. This study employed a descriptive mixed-method approach. Convenience sampling was used to conduct an online survey of 174 participants and two focus groups (N = 14). The majority (51.7 %) were refugees, and 48% were irregular migrant workers. In this study, 90.9% of the participants used social networks and social media chats to obtain information about COVID-19, 84.1% understood and found the vaccination campaign helpful, and 44.2% were aware of it. Although 70% of the participants considered vaccination crucial, 95% said that they would not take it because of fear of arrest and deportation, even though they considered vaccination necessary. Approximately 21.2% of the workers reported that their employers did not provide masks or hand sanitisers. Most of the participants (39.7 %) lived in dormitories provided by their employers. This puts them at a higher risk of infection because of the difficulty in practising social distancing. As part of COVID-19 prevention, the government should grant an amnesty period and work with migrant civil society organisations to administer vaccinations and effective measures for all immigrant populations in Malaysia.