Children get their Covid-19 vaccination at a kindergarten in Parit, Perak February 28, 2022. — Picture by Farhan Najib
KOTA KINABALU, March 7 — Several Covid-19 vaccination centres (PPV) have been set up in shopping complexes here, to administer vaccine doses to children as the vaccination rate among the group in the state is still low.
Kota Kinabalu district health officer Dr Suhaila Osman said the shopping complexes include Imago Shopping Mall, ITCC Shopping Mall, Warisan Square, Centre Point Sabah Shopping Mall and One Borneo Hypermall.
To date, she said only 14 per cent or about 60,000 children, aged from five to 11 years in Sabah, have received their Covid-19 vaccination through the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme for Children (PICKids).
“While going out for an outing with their children at the shopping malls, parents can also take them to these PPVs, apart from the nearby health clinics or the Luyang Multi-Purpose Hall here.
“Currently, they are on school holidays but the chances of infection will increase when they go back to schools.
“It is better to do something to give them protection and this is the best time for the children to get vaccinated because the vaccine requires two weeks to take effect and provide immunity,” she told reporters after an operation dubbed Ops Opocot 3-in-1 to check on SOP compliance at business premises.
Some 500 premises and 1,500 individuals were inspected and questioned during the operation while 14 compounds were issued, among others, for failure to register with the MySejahtera application and smoking at designated smoke free zones in food outlets. — Bernama