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Journalism of Courage
The photos of a man in Malaysia, who turned up for his appointment at a vaccination centre dressed up as a dinosaur, are going viral on social media.
The sight of the man in a special T-Rex suit queuing up for his turn at the centre in the Malaysian state of Sarawak and following all Covid protocols bemused fellow residents and also frontline professionals.
Later, Kenny Sia shared the pictures on Instagram and wrote, “Got my first dose of Sinovac today.” The photos have now taken social media by storm.
Sia, founder and director of Level Up Fitness, told Malay Mail that he decided to wear the suit after he saw photos of a senior citizen in the country, wearing a plastic bag over his head while getting vaccinated, going viral. He also maintained that he did it to brighten up the mood of healthcare workers and was surprised when everyone played along.
“I really wanted to bring cheer to the frontline workers and volunteers as they have so many people to administer the vaccines to on a daily basis,” he was quoted as saying by Malay Mail.
“Surprisingly, when I went to Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK), the frontline workers and volunteers played along and acted as if I were an ordinary person,” he added.
Speaking to World of Buzz, he, however, clarified that he did not specifically buy the dinosaur costume just for vaccination. He said that he had bought it way back so that he could pretend to be a dinosaur while playing with his child. However, he advised others not to be inspired by his gimmick. “I went there towards the end of the day so maybe it’s still okay. But I’m wary of holding up the line,” he said.
Talking to Reuters, he also said the suit meant extra protection as well. “Rather than wearing only face masks or face shields, I decided to go the whole way. The whole suit is effectively a PPE (personal protective equipment) – it’s one of those overall suits,” the 39-year-old fitness instructor said.
Amused by the quirky idea, the vaccination centre not only shared the images of the ‘dinosaur’ turning up to get a jab but also created a step-by-step guide to inform others about the inoculation procedure.
After Sia was identified, the centre thanked him for “bringing a smile to everyone’s face” on his vaccination day. As some wondered if it was difficult to breathe in the suit and if he was still wearing a mask inside, the centre shared a close-up shot to show that he was. “For maximum comfort, we advise future vaccination guests to come as humans,” the centre added.
Earlier in March 2020, a man in Spain had stepped outside his house wearing a similar suit and got pulled over by the cops. There have been others who have opted to dress up in a unicorn suit and even a giraffe costume to protect themselves from getting infected by Covid-19.
