Parents focus on prevention and early detection

Ready for shots: Parents accompanying their children who are waiting for their turn to receive the Covid-19 vaccine in Hospital Tunku Azizah, Kuala Lumpur. — FAIHAN GHANI/The Star

BUTTERWORTH: As the Covid-19 vaccination programme for children took off, some parents here say they will remain focused on prevention and early detection of the deadly disease.

Restaurant operator Izyan Mohd Zaini, 38, who has four children aged seven to 11, said she tested them twice weekly.

“All my children are schooling and also undergo random self-tests in school.

“My husband and I are fully vaccinated and we even received our booster doses as we need to work, but children have more options.

“We avoid bringing them to crowded places with high risks, and we prevent them from going to school if they show the slightest symptoms of illness,” she said yesterday.

Another parent, K. Kalaimani, said she would wait and see before registering her 11-year-old daughter.

“Just like adults, we waited and saw others before taking ours.

“We understand that substantial laboratory tests have been conducted to ensure the safety and effectiveness of the vaccines, but we have the final call on whether to take them.

“After two years of Covid-19 and still being safe, I think we can wait a little longer to see the responses of other children towards the vaccines,” she said.

Engineer Geraldine Khoo, 36, said she was ready to see her kids vaccinated and would register her 11-year-old son and 12-year-old daughter.

She was even prepared to take a few days off from work to monitor them.

“I’ve yet to register them. I am busy with work and I don’t want them to face side effects while I am busy. I hope both of them will get their vaccines on the same day and I can take a week off from work to be with them,” she said.

Although Penang has yet to start Covid-19 vaccination for children aged five to 11 years, state health committee chairman Dr Norlela Ariffin said health authorities are in discussion about its implementation.

“We will wait for the outcome of vaccination for children in the Klang Valley first.

“When it starts, it will be held at hospitals and will be opened for children with higher risks first,” she said.

The National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme for Children (PICKids) kicked off in the Klang Valley yesterday.

Under PICKids, an estimated four million children aged between five and 11 are eligible to receive the mRNA vaccine, Comirnaty 10mcg Concentrate for Dispersion (Pfizer-BioNTech), which will be administered under the programme.