National Covid-19 vaccination program for Children (PICKids)

On Saturday, 12 March 2022, Kinderland Malaysia hosted a special webinar in collaboration with the Paediatric Department of Hospital Tengku Ampuan Rahimah on the topic of Covid-19 vaccination for children aged 5 to 11 years old.

While the general public widely accepts Covid-19 vaccinations for adults, we understand that parents have concerns about getting their children vaccinated. This is because little is known about the possible risks and side effects of the vaccination on children. To address these concerns and more, we had the privilege of having Dr Vasuky Dasaratha Raman, a paediatrician from HTAR, to share and talk with us through this webinar.

One striking piece of information she shared during the talk is the risk of developing Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MISC), a covid related sequela in children. It is a condition where different body parts can become inflamed, including the heart, lungs, kidneys, brain, skin, eyes or gastrointestinal organs. In Malaysia, we have had 174 cases of MISC between June 2020 and December 2021, of which 100 cases involved children in the age group of 5-11; and the majority of these cases required PICU admission, with seven deaths (4%).

With this information and more, Dr. Vasuky highlighted why it is important to get our children vaccinated. She also answered parents’ pressing questions in the Q&A session at the end of the event, providing parents much-needed assurance of her professional opinion.

We received much enthusiasm from our Kinderland parents towards this event, with many voicing their concerns during the Q&A session. We are currently moving into the endemic phase of Covid-19; schools have reopened, and most social activities have resumed. Besides adhering to strict guidelines, vaccination will help reduce the risk of symptomatic infection and serious complications of Covid-19 infection.

Let’s continue to work hard and work together to keep our children safe and healthy!