KUCHING: The Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) and the Ministry of Health (MOH) have been urged to expedite the Covid-19 vaccination programme for children (PICKids) as there has been an increase in the number of cases, affecting this vulnerable group.
Sarawak Patriots Association (SPA) Chairman Datuk Dr Lau Pang Heng said the association has received numerous feedbacks from parents, where they do not know when their children will be receiving the vaccine as there has been no communication from SDMC nor MOH on this matter.
“It is also concerning to them that there are no vaccination centres (PPVs) offering vaccines for children, hence, SDMC needs to reconsider its decision not to involve private practitioners in this process.”
“Why are they (private practitioners) left out now when they have helped Sarawak achieve such a high level of vaccination in the adult population?”
“The authorities should use all the tools at their disposal to protect our future generation,” he said in a statement today,
Lau said while organising the vaccination programme from school to school is an easier process from an administrative standpoint, it should not be the primary driver in deciding how and when the children are vaccinated.
Thus, SPA urged the authorities to resume the vaccination of children at various PPVs and private practitioners. The authorities should also publish the schedule for school vaccination.
He said Sarawak is at a critical juncture in its fight against the pandemic.
“It would appear we have the upper hand today, but as we saw at the start of 2021, the situation could change very quickly. Let’s not throw away our hard-earned gains because of inaction or bureaucracy.”
