KUALA LUMPUR: More than 400,000 cases of Covid-19 involving individuals under the age of 18 were recorded this year, up from about 12,000 cases last year, says Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin.

       He said from the cases reported this year, which included 67 deaths, 252,569 involved schoolchildren while 42,831 were pre-school students.

       “It is our joint responsibility to ensure children are protected from Covid-19 by ensuring a safe environment for them, including taking appropriate preventive and protective measures,” he said in his keynote address in conjunction with a webinar on Living With Covid-19: Children and Teenagers yesterday.

       Khairy said the government had implemented a vaccination programme for those aged 12 to 17.

       Based on Health Ministry data on the CovidNow website, 43% (or 1,352,870) of teenagers aged 12 to 17 have received at least one dose of the vaccine as at Wednesday.

       Khairy added that although vaccines provided protection from the more adverse effects of Covid-19, getting the vaccination alone was not enough. “People need to continue observing the new normal practices to avoid the risk of infection.

       “Among the things we need to do and make a practice among children are wearing face masks all the time; washing our hands with soap or using a hand sanitiser; not attending school if they are symptomatic or close contacts of Covid-19 patients; and undergoing screening at the school entrance,” he said.

       He added that this would also serve as preparation for the opening of the school session.

       Khairy also said parents should provide support and encouragement to children to adhere to standard operating procedure whether they had been vaccinated or not, besides cultivating a healthy lifestyle.

       “Health depends on the cooperation of all parties... in dealing with Covid-19, no one is safe until everyone is safe,” he added. — Bernama