PETALING JAYA: There are 2.32 million students aged between 12 and 17 enrolled in national schools nationwide and as at Aug 24, 1.9 million individuals under the age of 18 have registered for Covid-19 vaccinations on MySejahtera.
With schools set to reopen in stages from Oct 3, 190,212 Form Five students in Phase Two and Three states of the National Recovery Plan are set to return for face-to-face learning, with vaccinations for those below 18 slated to start mid-September.
National Union of the Teaching Profession (NUTP) secretary-general Wang Heng Suan said teachers are collecting students' data for the vaccination drive.
Students are asked to fill up a Google form, he said, that requires their parents' permission.
“Parents can register their children through MySejahtera as their dependents or students who have their own mobile phones can register under their own names too,” he added.
Wang: Convert schools to PPV that cater only to students (to reduce the likelihood of them being infected by adults).
On Aug 15, then former education minister Datuk Dr Radzi Jidin announced that the nationwide reopening of schools would start with exam year students in Forms Five and Six in Phase Two states, while schools in Phase Three could open in full.
Schools in Phase One states, including the Klang Valley (Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya) which accounts for 84,256 or 23.6% of Form Five students, are not allowed to open.
Twenty-three percent, or 81,500, of Form Five students are in the other Phase One states, namely Kedah (25,994), Melaka (11,345), and Johor (44,161).
About 42.86%, or 152,995, of Form Five students are in Phase Two states.
Sabah, Perak and Kelantan have the highest number of 17-year-olds enrolled in national schools under Phase Two.
Phase Three states have 10.4%, or 37,217, of the nation's Form Five students.
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Faculty of Medicine Senior Consultant Paediatrician Prof Dr Zarina Abdul Latiff said with schools looking to reopen, the need to vaccinate is even more pertinent as there are concerns that children can spread the virus to others, despite remaining asymptomatic in some cases.
Prof Zarina: The need to vaccinate is even more pertinent as there are concerns that children can spread the virus to others.
Universiti Putra Malaysia consultant clinical microbiologist and Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences dean and infectious disease expert Prof Dr Zamberi Sekawi said the health benefits of receiving Covid-19 vaccines outweigh the risks.
An announcement is expected to be made soon by the Special Committee for Ensuring Access to Covid-19 Vaccine Supply (JKJAV) on how Covid-19 vaccinations for adolescents will be implemented.
NUTP's Wang is calling on the government to set up special vaccination centres (PPV) for students.
"The vaccination drive for students must be organised well.
"Convert schools to PPV that cater only to students (to reduce the likelihood of them being infected by adults)."
Prof Zamberi: The health benefits of receiving Covid-19 vaccines outweigh the risks.
On Aug 22, Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah tweeted that educational facilities, such as schools, would be used as PPV as these are easier to access and are closer for people within the community to receive their Covid-19 vaccines.
Former National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (PICK) coordinating minister Khairy Jamaluddin tweeted on Aug 13 that teenagers with underlying medical conditions would be prioritised.
PICK, he added, would start vaccinating 12-17-year-olds with underlying medical conditions, followed by those with no medical issues based on age de-escalation.