Covid-19: Amid slow uptake for PICKids, Hajiji urges Sabahans to get their children immunised quickly

KOTA KINABALU: Parents should rest assured that the Covid-19 vaccine is safe for their children aged five to 11 and ought to get them inoculated quickly to help check the spread of infection, says Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor.

The Sabah Chief Minister said the Comirnaty 10mcg Concentrate for Dispersion from Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine formulated especially for children has been approved by the Drug Control Authority under the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA).

"It has been approved for safe usage and has the (ability) to protect children from severe Covid-19 infection," he said amid a low uptake for children's vaccination across the state.

Hajiji was speaking at the launch of the state-level National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme for Children (PICKids) at the Sabah Women and Children Hospital in Likas here Tuesday (Feb 15).

As of Sunday (Feb 13), some 32,186 children in the state aged five to 11 have been registered for PICKids by their parents through the MySejahtera application.

Hajiji said the number was still low, being less than 10% of the 411,400 eligible children in Sabah.

PICKids requires two doses of the vaccine to be administered eight weeks apart.

"Based on the latest data, an interval of eight weeks gives a higher immunity and efficacy rate with the potential for providing longer protection," he said, adding that PICKids was free for those residing in Sabah regardless of citizenship status.

Getting vaccinated is voluntary and parents or guardians need to sign a consent letter before their children can receive the vaccine, he added.

He said the appointment system within MySejahtera gives freedom for parents and guardians to choose the most convenient date and time as well as the vaccination centre (PPV).

He said they could also bring their children to be vaccinated at the nearest PPV offering walk-ins.

The vaccination of children in school PPV began on Saturday (Feb 12).

The state Health Department also collaborated with the Education Department, Islamic Religious Affairs Department (Jaheins) and Jakim to conduct outreach vaccination programmes in schools under their purview, Hajiji added.

PICKids got under way in Sabah on Feb 3 in five hospitals, namely the Women and Children Hospital, Duchess of Kent Hospital Sandakan, Hospital Keningau, Hospital Lahad Datu and Hospital Tawau.

The programme has since been extended throughout the state with the setting up of 145 PPV comprising 109 health clinics, 22 hospitals, 18 private clinics and four public centres, and is monitored by specialists and medical officers.

More than 500 unvaccinated children aged below age 11 were among the 3,891 new Covid-19 cases detected in Sabah on Sunday.