All You Need to Know; Vaccination for Children

Parents can now breathe a sigh of relief as the government has now rolled out plans to vaccinate youths in Malaysia aged 12 to 17 years old. This is as 67 deaths recorded among children in 2021 due to COVID-19 compared to only 6 cases last year is a worrying recent statistic, so the Health Ministry has announced plans to complete an 80% vaccination rate among the said group by the time school reopens in 2022. Here’s what parents will have to know before they get their children vaccinated:

Type of vaccine

Only one vaccine has been commissioned and approved by the Ministry of Health to be administered to Malaysian youths, and that is the Pfizer-BioNTech COMIRNATY vaccine. Two doses will be administered just like what the adults had, so parents are advised to register their children for the vaccination via the MySejahtera app to receive their appointment. Here’s how:

Step 1: Open the MySejahtera App
Step 2: Click on “COVID-19 vaccination”
Step 3: Click on “Add Vaccination Dependent”
Step 4: Complete all information requested, click “Submit” and wait for MySejahtera to update the vaccination appointment.

Which group of children are eligible for the vaccine

The vaccination program will involve all children within ages 12-17 years old, so that a herd immunity of around 80% vaccination rate can be achieved before they all return to school in 2022. However, children of this age bracket with underlying health conditions are advised to seek medical advice before they register for it.

Where the vaccine will be administered

Designated vaccination centres will be opened for walk-in vaccinations, while other centres, hospital or medical institutions can also provide the vaccine. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Education will also be working together to provide the vaccine in schools to provide more convenience to the people.

Here are the steps to take for parents who opt for walk-in at designated vaccination centres:

Step 1: Check the walk-in schedules set by schools
Step 2: Register via MySejahtera (either parent or child)
Step 3: Parents accompany child to the vaccination centre on the designated date to sign the consent form

The list of available vaccination centres for walk-in appointments are:

Selangor:

Dewan Sivik MBPJ, Petaling Jaya
Bangi Avenue Convention Centre, Bangi
Hospital Orang Asli Gombak, Gombak
UniKL British Malaysia Institute, Gombak
Dewan Kompleks Sukan, Majlis Perbandaran Kuala Langat, Kuala Langat
Stadium Tertutup Kuala Selangor, Kuala Selangor
Multimedia University, Cyberjaya

Kuala Lumpur:

Axiata Arena, Bukit Jalil
Universiti Malaya

Meanwhile, here are the steps to take for parents who wish to have their children take their vaccination in school:

Step 1: Confirm that the school is registered under Vaksin Anakku
Step 2: Register via MySejahtera (either parent or child)
Step 3: Parents to submit Vaccination Consent Form to the school and wait for designated date and time for vaccination.

Pre-vaccination assessment

High risk children are advised to obtain a pre-vaccination assessment to determine their suitability for the vaccine, besides finding out other information such as type of vaccine most suitable for them, and the most appropriate place to administer the vaccine, so that they are able to receive immediate attention should any complications arise after their vaccination.

Reliability of the vaccine

Similar to last year when the initial batches of vaccines were first rolled out and when the government started making plans to vaccinate the people, there were many sceptics out there who are doubtful (some remain so) of the vaccine. It cannot be stressed enough that while the vaccine has never been claimed to be the ultimate deterrent for COVID-19, having it in our body certainly increases the chances of survival and lesser severity even if we contract the virus.

Before being vaccinated

As good practice before any medical appointment, it’s best to eat and sleep well the day before. Loose clothing (especially at the sleeve area) is encouraged because that’s the spot the syringe will enter. Of course, all documentations such as ID cards, proof of vaccination appointment will be best at hand before one enters the vaccination centre.

After being vaccinated

Children are advised to refrain from heavy physical activities within a week after vaccination. Should complications arise, seek medical advice if it persists for several days without any improvements. The body should be at rest mostly so that the vaccine can do its job inside. And of course, continue staying indoors until at least two weeks after the second dose of vaccine!

With valuable information, parents can now rest easy and sign their children up for their vaccination, so that they, too, can be protected especially when they return to school where there will be contact with the outside world. Therefore, let’s do our part to prevent COVID-19 and protect our loved ones from the virus.