Covid-19 : Hoping to return to normalcy, vaccinated kids want their friends to be protected too

Focus

By NORMAWATI ADNAN

10 Feb 2022 12:51pm

The on-duty doctor, Dr Noor Azira (left) looks on as her colleagues administer vaccine shots during the first day of the PICKids vaccination programme at the SPPV Hospital Teluk Intan on Wednesday.

Muhammad Ammar, 11, is excited to get vaccinated as he knows the vaccines will not only protect him but the his friends as well.

Mohamad Irfan Hakimie Zainal Abidin, 10, attended the programme with two of his brothers, Mohamad Ikhwan Nadrin, 8, and Mohamad Izz Fazri, 6 accompanied by their mother to receive the Covid-19 shots here.

TELUK INTAN - “My dad asked me to get the shot, I thought it would be painful but it is not painful at all,” Husna Farisya Rosli,10, shared her experience of getting vaccinated.

The Standard Four student from Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Sultan Abdul Aziz is among 30 children who received the vaccination shot under National Covid-19 Immunization Programme for Children (PICKids) at Special Vaccination Centre (SPPV) in Teluk Intan Hospital here on Wednesday.

Husna Farisya said her father told her that the injection is crucial to protect them against the Covid-19 virus.

“My dad always reminded me to take care of myself, practice cleanliness and social distance.

“With the injection, I am feeling more confident especially when I’m going back to school soon,” she said to Sinar Harian.

Muhammad Ammar Wafiuddin Abdullah Zubair, 11 also shared his excitement upon receiving the Covid-19 vaccine shot.

“I believe that by getting the vaccine, we are able to go back to how things used to be.

“I hope my friends will take the vaccine shots for everyone's sake,” he said.

Meanwhile, Mohamad Irfan Hakimie Zainal Abidin, 10, attended the programme with two of his brothers, Mohamad Ikhwan Nadrin, 8, and Mohamad Izz Fazri, 6 to receive the Covid-19 shots here.

According to Irfan Hakimie, he felt safer getting vaccinated with his brothers accompanying him.

“I was able to calm myself down because my brothers were there. I was scared at first but the doctor was nice and it was not painful,'' he said.

Their mother, Fathiyah Nordin, 36 who works as a nurse has been wanting to bring her sons to get vaccinated.

She explained that her husband, Zainal Abidin Dzuhir, 40 who is serving in the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) is also at risk of being infected due to the nature of his profession.

“I used to work in the Covid-19 patient wards and I'm concerned about being infected too.

“With the kids vaccinated, I could breathe a sigh of relief because we have taken early prevention measures,” she said.

PICKids at SPPV Hospital Teluk Intan are open every Wednesday and Thursday except for public holidays from 8.30 am to 12 noon for the morning session and the afternoon session from 2.30 pm to 3.30 pm.

Teluk Intan Hospital deputy director Dr Noor Azira Haron said the SPPV could accept 200 individuals a day and the priority is given to children with health problems as they are at higher risk of being infected with Covid-19.

"The program has just started at this hospital today (Wednesday) and we received encouraging responses from the public. We expect within one to two weeks, more children will register and receive their vaccinations here," she said.