BUTTERWORTH: Initially, Norsharifah Ab Malek was reluctant to get her cerebral palsy daughter vaccinated after she was influenced by many unverified information about the vaccine spread on social media.

However, after seeing that her parents who have been vaccinated did not experience any side effects, the 52-year-old single mother relented and gave her consent for her daughter Anis Sabrina Roslan, 23, a trainee at the Aroma Kasih Community-Based Rehabilitation Centre (PPDK), under the Disabled Development Department to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

"Both of my parents who are in their 60s and 70s received the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine last week without experiencing any complications. Therefore, I feel confident to allow my daughter to get vaccinated.

"The vaccination process at the PPDK went smoothly with no big crowds and this has provided a great comfort to parents with children of various disabilities here," she told Bernama when met at PPDK Aroma Kasih, here yesterday.

The vaccination programme at the Aroma Kasih PPDK was held in collaboration with the Social Welfare Department (JKM) and the Seberang Perai Utara district health office.

Shapida Mohd Nasir, 42, whose daughter Syafiza Khairulnizam, 19, has learning disabilities, said the initiative taken by the PPDK has come as a huge relief for parents and guardians of special needs children.

"It is a bit difficult for me to go anywhere because my daughter also suffers from epilepsy. This kind of initiative has greatly helped and given us as well as the children a hassle-free vaccination experience," said Shapida who lives in Bagan Dalam here.

Meanwhile, Aroma Kasih PPDK supervisor, Muhamad Fazrul Akmal Che Amran, 28, said the programme was held with the aim to facilitate trainees at the rehabilitation centre in getting their vaccine shots.

"It is also to encourage more parents here who were yet to register their children for the vaccination to do so and get them vaccinated.

"This initiative will also enable parents to send their children who have been vaccinated to the PPDK for their rehabilitation activities as usual after the government allows us to operate as usual later," he said.

-- BERNAMA