COVID: Over 25,000 children in Penang given first dose under PICKids

GEORGE TOWN: A total of 25,663 children aged between five and 11 in Penang has received the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine through the National COVID-19 Immunisation Programme for Children (PICKids) from Feb 7 till yesterday.

State Agrotechnology and Food Safety, Rural Development and Health Committee chairman Dr Norlela Ariffin said the vaccination was implemented at various vaccination centres (PPVs) including hospitals and schools.

"The number of children receiving vaccines has increased from 530 on Feb 12 to 25,663 as of yesterday, which is 16.5 per cent of the total number of children aged five to 11 years.

"Until two days ago, Penang received PICKids registrations of more than 64,300 children. Our various efforts with the Penang Health Department (JKN) and the Penang Education Department (JPN) is to provide information on the benefits of the vaccine to curb the spread of COVID-19," she said in a statement today.

Previously, 14 more PPVs were opened to speed up the PICKids process in Penang.

In the meantime, she said until Feb 18, a total of 938,065 people or 68.3 per cent of the adult population in Penang had received their booster dose.

Meanwhile, in TERENGGANU, a total of 8,591 or 4.8 per cent of children were given COVID-19 vaccine through PICKids from Feb 8 until yesterday.

State JKN director Datuk Dr Kasemani Embong said of the total, 2,245 were 11-year-old children while 1,717 were 10; 1,442 (nine); 1,273 (eight); 1,031 (seven); 514 (six); and 369 (five).

She said the department was targeting 124,206 children aged between five and 11 to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

"Therefore, we hope that more parents will be aware of the importance of getting their children vaccinated and to protect them from the threat of this pandemic," she told Bernama here.

-- BERNAMA