Over 130,000 kids aged 5-11 in Malaysia get first vaccine dose

More than 130,000 children in Malaysia aged between five and 11 have received the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine as at Saturday, nine days after a national vaccination programme for them was launched.

That number represents 3.8 per cent of the group, according to the CovidNow government website.

As at last Monday, 663,641 children out of 3.6 million in that age group have registered for their shots, which will be administered in two doses with an eight-week interval.

The vaccination is not compulsory, but the health authorities have been trying to encourage more parents to register their children for it.

Malaysia recorded at least 26 Covid-19 deaths involving children aged between five and 11 in the past six months. A total of 147,282 children were infected during that period.

Figures show some 90 per cent of adolescents aged 12 to 17 have had two doses of a Covid-19 vaccine.

Likewise, 97.5 per cent of the adult population have received both doses, and more than half of those, or 56 per cent, have had their booster shots as well.

Director-general of health Noor Hisham Abdullah, in a social media post yesterday, said that of the 21,072 new Covid-19 cases recorded, 99.59 per cent, or 20,986 cases, were in categories one and two, with the remaining in categories three, four and five.

Categories one and two refer to patients who are asymptomatic and have mild symptoms respectively, category three involves those with a lung infection, category four involves those requiring oxygen, and the final category refers to critical cases with organ damage and requiring ventilator assistance.

Daily figures have been rising, but the Education Ministry said last Friday that the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examinations, equivalent to the O-level exams in Singapore, would continue as scheduled. SPM written exams are set to take place next month, but oral exams began last week.

An online petition calling for the postponement of the exams has gained over 3,000 signatures since it was launched a week ago.

The Health Ministry's figures as at Friday showed that out of 385 active Covid-19 clusters, 235 involved educational institutions.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob has said that Ramadan bazaars will be allowed to operate this year, even as the number of infections continues to rise.

The standard operating procedure for the bazaars will be announced at a later date, he said.

"We will not close down businesses... The Raya celebration, fasting month, Ramadan bazaars and night markets will go on as usual," he was quoted as saying yesterday by Bernama news agency.

Hari Raya Puasa is set to take place in early May.