15 May Is The Last Day For Kids To Get First Covid-19 Dose, Says Deputy Health Minister
A deadline to receive the first dose was set to reduce vaccine wastage.
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The final day for parents to get their children vaccinated against Covid-19 is 15 May.
According to Malay Mail, Deputy Health Minister I Datuk Dr Noor Azmi Ghazali said the Health Ministry (KKM) would no longer be offering the first doses of the Comirnaty and CoronaVac Covid-19 vaccines for children aged between five and 13 starting 16 May.
After 15 May, the Comirnaty vaccine for children will no longer be offered in any public or private health facility in Malaysia.
However, the CoronaVac vaccine can only be obtained at private facilities for a fee.
Dr Noor Azmi added that the decision would not involve vaccinations for children who were born in 2017 and have not reached the age of five by 15 May 2022.
Children in this category can get vaccinated by registering through MySejahtera. Further details for this vaccination group would be made available soon.
Register in MySejahtera by 8 May
Parents who had registered their children in MySejahtera but have not been inoculated would be contacted by a KKM personnel through phone, social media or home visits to be vaccinated.
Parents who agree will be given an appointment before the last date for the first dose. Parents can still register their children for the Covid-19 vaccine in MySejahtera by 8 May.
This is to enable a link to the appointment system to be provided before the first dose deadline. I urge parents who have yet to decide not to pass the opportunity to get the vaccine for free under PICKids before the final date. Choose to vaccinate your children to avoid severe Covid-19 complications.
Deputy Health Minister I Datuk Dr Noor Azmi Ghazali
Dr Noor Azmi, who’s also the Covid-19 Immunisation Task Force-Children (CITF-C) chairman said the low vaccine uptake caused high wastage so a deadline for the vaccine dose must be set.
As the trend for requests for vaccination among parents for children has reduced, the Health Ministry has reviewed the implementation period of PICKids. To prevent the wastage of unused children Cominarty vaccines within six months after it was manufactured, an end date to the first dose must be made.
Deputy Health Minister I Datuk Dr Noor Azmi Ghazali
New consent forms amended
In addition, CITF-C had agreed to amend the Covid-19 Vaccine consent form for children aged 18 and below.
The clause ‘I am responsible for the risks that may happen to the child for my decision/action as the benefits of the vaccine outweigh its side effects’ will be removed from the new form.
The removal of this clause is to prevent confusion and express existing practices of which the Health Ministry has never neglected, and is always ready to provide appropriate health assistance when there are side effects related to the reception of the vaccine.
Deputy Health Minister I Datuk Dr Noor Azmi Ghazali
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