Benefits of jabs outweigh the risks, say experts

PETALING JAYA: Parents will need to assess the benefits over the risks when it comes to vaccinating their five- to 12-year-old children under the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme for Children (PICKids).

Prof Dr Moy Foong Ming from Universiti Malaya’s Department of Social and Preventive Medicine said children cannot continue to stay at home, so it was best to make sure they are protected against Covid-19.

“Children aged five to 12 years old are the remaining group of people who have not been vaccinated. We do understand that parents are concerned about Covid-19 vaccine side effects, but they will disappear over time.

“We have to look at the risks and benefits, because we don’t know how virulent the next variant might be.

“Omicron appears to be milder because many people have been vaccinated, so it is wise for kids in this age group to get the best protection,” she said when contacted.

Prof Moy added that clinical trials of the Pfizer vaccine have shown that it was safe for children.

According to US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data based on nearly nine million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine delivered to kids aged five to 11, there were no major safety issues.

Universiti Selangor visiting professor of Environmental Health Prof Dr Jamal Hisham Hashim also said that based on CDC data, the Covid-19 infection rate among those aged five to 11 years old was 7.1%.

“This is a significant percentage even though the infection might be mild in them. Nevertheless, they can still spread the infection to other high-risk groups in the population.

“After nine million doses of the Pfizer vaccine were administered to US children aged 5-11, local and systemic reactions were commonly reported, but serious adverse events were rare,” he told The Star.

When asked what parents could do to ensure their children stay safe, Dr Jamal said kids should be trained to properly comply with the standard operating procedures (SOP) and not rely solely on their schools and teachers.

“Primary school children need time to adapt to the new normal, but they are fast learners.

“Therefore, SOP reinforcement should be emphasised by both parents at homes and teachers in schools to make it a habit among children.

“However, vaccination is still needed as a safety net against Covid-19,” he added.

However, Universiti Malaya virologist Prof Dr Sazaly Abu Bakar the vaccination for kids should remain an option and not be made mandatory, as many children who contracted the virus were asymptomatic.

“We have yet to see any concrete data to argue the vaccine can help prevent the disease among children.

“At present, we are working on the fact that other countries are doing it, so we must also follow suit.

“The best thing we can do for our children is to teach them how to live with the virus like any respiratory illness,” he said.

ProtectHealth chief executive Datuk Dr Anas Alam Faizli said they would collaborate closely with the Private Medical Practitioners (PMPs) to assist the Health Ministry to maximise the implementation of PICKids.

He said PICKids will be conducted in the Klang Valley first through hospitals for children with comorbidities.

“For children without any medical problems, the vaccination will be given at integrated vaccination centres (PPV).

“We will ensure that all PPVs including integrated, offsite and selected private hospitals will be fully prepared and ready to accommodate children aged five to 12 for vaccination,” he said in a statement.

It was reported on Jan 28 that Malaysia has received 624,000 doses of Pfizer’s Comirnaty vaccine for children aged five to 12.