KUALA LUMPUR: There have been 26 Covid-19 deaths involving children between the ages of five and 11 in the past six months.
Over the past six-months, 147,282 unvaccinated children aged between five and 11 years old contracted Covid-19, according to the Health Ministry's data.
This week alone, 3,557 children were infected with the virus, and this makes up 9.9 per cent of the total Covid-19 cases logged within the period.
Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said that the ministry decided to extend the national vaccination drive to this group due to the worrying numbers.
"This is the last missing piece of the puzzle, after our adult and teenage immunisation programmes," the minister said at the launch of PICKids at the Tunku Azizah Hospital.
He said efforts were made to protect the group from serious complications related to Covid-19 and Long Covid.
PICKids would be conducted simultaneously nationwide at hospitals and integrated vaccination centres, he said, with priority given to immunocompromised children and those with comorbidities.
Vaccination appointments were currently being released in stages on MySejahtera for parents or guardians in the Klang Valley.
Khairy said the programme would see the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine being administered.
He said two 10 micrograms (mcg) doses of the vaccine, each equivalent to about one-third of the adult quantity, would be given to the children.
A total 1,200 children in the Klang Valley would receive their first dose today.
"The ministry targets children aged five to 11 years old to complete their second dose after eight weeks of receiving their first dose," he said.
He gave an assurance that the programme would be on a voluntary basis and parents would not be forced to get their children vaccinated.