To reduce the spread of COVID-19, the Malaysian government is expanding the vaccination coverage to children aged 5 to 12 years old. It is expected that approximately 4 million children will receive the vaccination including refugees and asylum seekers. This will help to:
- Protect children from multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C)* and long Covid** caused by COVID-19 infection.
- Enable children to safely socialize with others.
- Minimize clusters in schools/learning centres through herd immunity.
All children within this age group will receive 2 doses of Pfizer with an 8-week interval. This is a reduced dose as compared to the one given to adults and longer interval between doses to ensure the vaccine is well tolerated.
Enrolment for your children in this campaign is fully voluntary, but all parents or guardians are encouraged to register their children to protect them against COVID-19 infection and long-term effects.
You can do so by signing up your child as a dependent using your MySejahtera app. Currently, the vaccine is available at selected vaccination centres (PPV); namely hospitals, health clinics, integrated PPV and off-site PPV.
Video guidance is available in Arabic, Urdu, Tamil, Rohingya, Tedim and Persian on the Refugee Malaysia YouTube channel.
In the meantime, continue to remain vigilant, practice 3W and avoid 3C!
Practice 3W –
- Wash your hands.
- Wear mask.
- Be alert with warning from the relevant authorities.
Avoid 3C –
- Avoid crowded places.
- Avoid confined spaces.
- Avoid close conversation.
Poster: Avoid 3C, Practice 3W.
* Multi-system Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) is a condition where different parts of the body can become inflamed including the heart, lungs, kidneys, brain, skin, eyes or gastrointestinal organs. (Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
** Long Covid – A wide range of new, returning, or ongoing health problems people can experience four or more weeks after first being infected with the virus that causes COVID-19. (Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)