KANGAR, March 8 — The National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme for Children (PICKids) in Perlis has received encouraging response with almost 6,000 children or 20.8 per cent receiving their first shot so far.
Masjid Alwi Vaccination Centre coordinator, Dr Ahmad Fadhzil Mohamad said a total of 28,000 children aged five to 11 in the state were identified as eligible to receive vaccinations to date.
Ahmad Fadhzil said the percentage was higher compared to several other states such as Terengganu, Sabah and Kelantan, which recorded an average of under 20 per cent of the state’s child population of the same age category.
“I hope people no longer have doubts about getting their children and themselves vaccinated as there are a lot of clinical evidence and realistic data to show that vaccinations can provide continued protection against Covid-19.
“Therefore, I call on the community to take their shots to protect their loved ones together,” he told Bernama here today.
Starting today, the PICKids programme at the Masjid Alwi centre also offers either the Pfizer and Sinovac vaccine to recipients.
Ahmad Fadhzil added that based on the latest data recorded, about 90 per cent of Covid-19 positive cases in Perlis are due to individuals who have not yet received their booster shot.
He said Perlis was also the state with the highest Covid-19 death rate for the past two weeks with a total of 51 people.
“The data shows that taking a booster shot is a necessity, especially for those who are not fully vaccinated,” he said.
Mother of three, Ruhaida Mohamad Mokhtar, 44, said she took her children to get vaccinated to protect her family. She said she was initially sceptical about the vaccination of children 12 and below but it seemed to be needed following a spike in infections.
“By getting vaccinated, it can at least protect children because although it can not prevent Covid-19 infection completely, the effects are very minimal,” she said. — Bernama
