Parents now more open to allow vaccination for children - Paediatrician

SEREMBAN: Parents are now seen as being more open to allowing their children to be vaccinated after the government gave the choice of using Comirnaty (Pfizer) or CoronaVac (Sinovac) vaccine.

Mawar Medical Centre paediatrician, Dr Mohd Zaqrul Razmal Mohd Podzi said the government's move to allow dispensing Sinovac vaccine under the National COVID-19 Immunisation Programme for Children (PICKids) is a proactive move apart from giving a choice to parents.

"They need to expedite the process of vaccination for children as a measure to protect them from COVID-19 infection.

"I found it is not that parents are against COVID-19 vaccination for their children but they are afraid, so somebody has to attend to their worries," he said when met by reporters at a PICKids programme in Mawar Medical Centre here today.

He said there were initial reservations among parents as they did not get accurate information on the safety and side effects of the vaccination.

He said it is also due to some parents who did not understand the information provided and were more influenced by messages via TikTok, Instagram and Facebook.

"On the overall, parents want to protect their children but they want reassurance on the risk of vaccination," he said.

The media had earlier reported that the Health Ministry (MOH) was offering Sinovac vaccine at selected Vaccination Centres (PPV) for PICKids from March 7 and parents would be given the choice of Sinovac vaccine for children if they did not agree with the Pfizer vaccine.

Meanwhile, kindergarten teacher, Normazura Kamaruddin, 40, said her two sons, Aiman Qusyairee Noor Nashriq, 10, and Anas Al Qayyeed Noor Nashriq, 7, have been waiting to be vaccinated after waking up at 6 am today.

"I have explained to them the need to be vaccinated to protect their health.. and they did not reject and I am relieved as they would be safer in school after the vaccination," she said.

Vaccine recipient, Wan Rizq Wan Mohd Satmi, 11, cheerfully shared his experience after getting his jab today.

"I told my parents myself that I want to get vaccinated...my friends out there do not have to be afraid as the vaccine injection is not painful," he said.

-- BERNAMA