PUTRAJAYA: Parents of school-going teenagers have been advised once again by the Health Ministry not to swarm PPV (vaccination centres), in the hope of getting a Covid-19 jab via walk-ins.

       Deputy Health Minister Datuk Dr Noor Azmi Ghazali reiterated that the walk-ins for teens are only limited to those who are either university students (below 18), not in schools, or are home-schooled.

       “Parents do not need to rush to PPV to get their children vaccinated because the vaccination appointments will be arranged by the district health and education offices. Then, the respective schools will get teachers to inform parents or guardians of their vaccination schedules.

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       “Parents or guardians must take their teenage children for vaccinations according to schedule. This scheduled vaccination method is to avoid congestion or a Covid-19 outbreak at PPV,” said Dr Noor Azmi, who is also the Covid-19 Immunisation Task Force for Adolescents chairman, in a statement on Thursday (Sept 23).

       Dr Noor Azmi said for students of boarding schools (daily and full boarding), they will receive their vaccination appointments via MySejahtera.

       “Boarding school students will either be vaccinated at their schools or a PPV located near to where they live,” said Dr Noor Azmi.

       Dr Noor Azmi said the Health Ministry guarantees that the supply of vaccines for adolescents in the country is adequate.

       “There are enough vaccines for those aged 12 to 17, and they will get vaccinated either at their schools or a PPV,” he said.

       The vaccination programme is expected to involve 3.2 million adolescents aged 12 to 17.

       As of Wednesday (Sept 22), more than 500,000 teens in the country had received their first vaccination doses since the programme kicked off in Sarawak on Sept 8.

       So far, the government has only approved the use of Pfizer’s Comirnaty vaccines for those aged 12 to 17.