By Gabriel Lihan
KUCHING: With the country now in the endemic phase of COVID-19, the public, especially parents, need to have heightened awareness of the importance of being vaccinated.
Hence, in this article, Norhafizah Yusof of the Malaysia Information Department Sarawak, shares the importance of getting young children inoculated.
So far, we have seen the success of the COVID-19 National Immunisation Programme (PICK) for teenagers, the administration of the booster dose, as well as the recently launched COVID-19 vaccination programme for Kids (PICKids) age five to 12.
The government’s aim of resolving the issue among kids is supported by many including parents who have received the early vaccines as well as the booster shots.
There has been no protest against the PICKids partly because the majority of the people think that the transition to the endemic phase will expose more children to the virus. They see PICKids as a shield against the virus.
Certainly, the transition phase will give some freedom to children who have been psychologically affected after two years of being stuck at home and being overwhelmed by the movement control order (MCO) imposed during the pandemic.
Minister of Health (MOH) Khairy Jamaluddin’s media statement pointed out that children are at a higher risk of contracting the Omicron variant compared to other variants such as the Delta.
Deputy Minister of Health I Datuk Dr Noor Azmi Ghazali stated that there is an increase of up to 160 per cent of COVID-19 cases and kids have been more likely to end up in hospital. The statistics have been alarming up to March last year which is also the reason why many parents have decided to register their kids for vaccination.
Referring to the latest data obtained by the MOH, an interval of eight weeks between the two doses will affect the immune response and produce a higher rate of efficacy and potentially would give a longer period of protection.
The clinical vaccination results have shown an effective rate of 90.7 per cent as well as the ability to achieve a high immune response to COVID-19 virus infection.
The effectiveness of the tests has proven that there should not be any doubt among parents regarding the safety of the vaccinations.
A recap on PICKids Sarawak
The PICKids programme was launched by the MOH last February 3 throughout Sarawak.
Registration of children was done through MySejahtera. In Sarawak, registrations were made through the MOH which ensured walk-ins at all integrated vaccination centres (PPV) were done during the long school holiday to help and speed up the vaccination process.
This was done in large scales which allowed parents to receive the vaccine appointments faster.
The vaccination centres started opening on March 5 with three integrated walk-in centres opened at Sibu Civic Centre, Kota Samarahan Health Clinic and Bintulu Health Clinic.
State’s Health Department deputy director Dr Rosemawati Ariffin said that walk-ins were a strategic step to achieve higher rates of vaccination of children in the state.
PICKids in Sarawak clearly received an astonishing response as indicated by the record last February 9 when 62,809 kids were vaccinated and 12,301 others listed.
Furthermore, based on the percentage from last February 3 until March 3, 52.8 per cent or 150,927 kids in the state have been vaccinated.
PICKids and why kids should be vaccinated
According to the myHEALTH KKM’s official portal, vaccine is an antigen which is a part of the virus or bacteria’s structure which has been weakened and its function is to strengthen the immune system and build immunity against infection.
The vaccine involves an mRNA vaccine which is Comirnaty 10mcg Concentrate for Dispersion (PfizerBioNTech) to protect children from infection.
The combination of vaccines was to ensure that children are protected against other types of diseases and the distribution of the vaccines has been practical and less painful.
Clinically, vaccination serves as protection against Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) Long COVID-19 caused by the COVID-19 infection.
Long COVID-19 is classified as a symptom which gives lasting effects after getting COVID-19 which causes problems to the sensory systems, nerves, cardio-respiratory and mental health.
It is also associated with non-specific symptoms such as fatigue, insomnia, difficulty concentrating, loss of appetite and pain in muscles or joints.
Director General of Health Malaysia Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said most children have organ inflammation caused by the virus. Kids who had chronic diseases such as chronic lung issues, heart diseases and diabetes are at a high risk of contracting the COVID-19 virus.
Vaccination also ensures that kids can socialise safely outside their homes and schools.
The increase in the number of Omicron cases in the country and the opening of schools with face-to-face teaching require kids to be vaccinated. Parents have been helpful in this.
The vaccine has also decreased the risk of COVID-19 from spreading to kids who can’t be vaccinated for various reasons.
They are kids who have a history of allergic reactions or history of anaphylaxis to medication, food or unknown substances or allergies in 72 hours to the first dose of vaccine or any of the contents of the COVID-19 vaccines.
Acceptance of PICKIDS in the community
PICKids has often been debated by parents although it has been well-received by the community in general.
One thing to always remember is that the COVID-19 virus is still active and so vaccination should be better than on protection.
It is heartening to note that the majority has decided that children should be vaccinated considering the COVID-19 virus is here to stay and kids have to live with it just like adults.
Indirectly, kids are exposed to the steps taken to curb the COVID-19 pandemic. In this way they will eventually understand and accept the new norms in their lives.
Many have lost their loved ones to the virus. Children have lost their parents and parents have lost their kids. This in itself should be a good enough reason get vaccinated.
To those doubting and unwilling to get their children vaccinated because of the uncertainty as to the safety of the vaccines, the government has given assurance it is safe. The health and well-being of the people is the government’s top priority as every human life is valuable.
The side effects of the vaccines which have been talked about especially on social media have been clearly explained by the MOH.
The perceptions of some parents also point to the need for transparency and provision of complete information because many people don’t know the pros and cons.
Seemingly every question must and has been answered by the authorities, so those who are still against vaccination are just the anti-vaccine groups who mostly likely have been influenced by misinformation on social media.
For those who have resigned themselves to the new normal such as wearing face masks, sanitising their hands, watching their physical distancing, and adhering to the standard operating procedures (SOPs), they must be consistent instead of reverting to their old habits.
In conclusion, PICKids and the vaccines are safe and parents should be confident that the safety of their children is in good hands.
COVID-19 is still out there to infect the unprotected and the unwary, so it is advisable to be always on guard for our own sake and for the sake of the children.
