By Ashley Sim
KUCHING, March 6: Children aged five to 11 can now opt for CoronaVac, or better known as the Sinovac vaccine, starting March 7, at designated vaccination centres.
Deputy Minister of Health I Dato Dr Noor Azmi Ghazali said Sinovac is now the second vaccine approved for children in this age group following the Pfizer vaccine.
He said parents may look up the names and operating hours of vaccination centres offering Sinovac on a walk-in basis on Ministry of Health (MOH) and PHCorp websites.
Additionally, parents who registered their children through the MySejahtera app will receive a link to schedule their child’s vaccination appointment.
“We are pleased to inform you that the Sinovac vaccine is available for free in the PPVs operated by MOH and PHCorp under PICKids.
“Aside from the PICKids programme, private clinics and hospitals also provide the Sinovac vaccine to children aged 5 to 11, but at a cost,” he said in a statement today.
Dr Noor Azmi said Sinovac vaccines can be given only when a child reaches the age of 5 on the date of birth, and that to ensure complete vaccination status, children aged 5 to 11 should receive two doses of the CoronaVac vaccine separated by a four-week interval.
Health workers will also offer Sinovac to children who are unable to receive Pfizer vaccines due to medical reasons.
“If parents do not agree to use the Pfizer vaccine, they are given the option of administering the Sinovac vaccine to their children. If parents have any questions, they are welcome to seek clarification from the on-duty health worker,” he explained.
On March 3, the 370th Drug Control Authority (DCA) meeting granted conditional approval for the use of CoronaVac Suspension for Injection Covid-19 Vaccine (Vero Cell), Inactivated manufactured by Sinovac Life Sciences Co. Ltd. (China) and Pharmaniaga Lifescience Sdn Bhd (Malaysia) for children aged 5 to 11. — DayakDaily
