Hashtag Hunger Games Trending on Malaysian Twitter as People Are Trying To Get Slots For Vaccination

Author: Haziq Maricar

Editor: Fatiha Mahmood

A screenshot that was taken on The Special Committee for Ensuring Access to COVID-19 Vaccine Supply’s official website.

KUALA LUMPUR, May 26 - The popular film franchise, The Hunger Games, was trending on the local page of social networking service Twitter, while people were in a race to get their hands on the second slot opening for the AstraZeneca vaccine days after the announcement was made publicly on various platforms.

Countless users on the social media site have expressed their frustration due to the fact that the official website that is appointed as the sole landing place for the registration of the vaccine as well as its incompetence to bare a high amount of traffic in terms of visitors at real time when there are millions of locals were trying to access it simultaneously.

Since the distribution of vaccine comes pretty scarce at this point of time, many people shared the same experience during the registration as if it seems like they were competing for The Hunger Games just like the plot of the film, where the residents have to take part in a televised intense battle to the death which slightly corresponds to the current situation where the vaccines are highly dependable for future survival at combatting the pandemic of Covid-19.

After a personal close observation on tweets that surfaced all over on the platform like the following just minutes after the registration opens, the selection button for state does not respond or is difficult to press and even when successful, the date selection slot is already full.

Picture by @drmusanordin on Twitter

“I can’t believe they’re making us fight for vaccines in the hunger games. I just want my family safe”

“Tried registering for my wife since 12:15pm...but I can’t even click the states. Is this The Hunger Games?”

“Ongoing is our PICK aka “Hunger Games” Our national vaccine rollout is like the brutal Fear Factor competition. Lacks empathy, compassion and solidarity! It’s a lottery! Siapa cepat dia dapat!”

According to the Coordinating Minister of the National COVID-19 Immunization Program, Khairy Jamaluddin Abu Bakar, the second slot for the vaccination this time will be prioritizing residents in Lembah Klang, Johor, Pulau Pinang, Kuching dan Miri, Sarawak.

As has been stated on flyers that were distributed by the Ministry of Health (KKM), in clinical trials done in the United Kingdom and the United States, the AstraZeneca COVID-19 Vaccine showed excellent efficacy, and it is very effective in real-world rollouts in reducing serious illness, hospitalisation, and death.

Khairy Jamaluddin then informed that a total of 1,261,600 doses were allocated for the second round of the AstraZeneca Vaccine following the delivery of the vaccine on May 21st while another is to be scheduled by the end of this month.