PETALING JAYA: With more youngsters being infected by Covid-19, paediatricians have advised parents to vaccinate their children to prevent them from getting severe infections.

       Since January, more than 50,000 children in Malaysia aged below 12 had been infected, said Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.

       Consultant paediatrician Dr Selva Kumar Sivapunniam said in the early stages of the pandemic, Covid-19 was viewed as a disease affecting only adults, but it was no longer the case today.

       “In the initial stage, we thought Covid-19 would not affect children but that has changed.

       “In 2020, about 13,000 children in Malaysia were infected. Last year, when the Delta variant emerged, almost 500,000 children were infected. There were fatalities too.

       “Now with the highly transmissible Omicron variant, more children are getting infected.

       “The reopening of schools is also why we are seeing a sudden surge of infection among children,” said Dr Selva Kumar, who is Hospital Selayang paediatric department head.

       He said Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) was a serious condition that could affect children infected with Covid-19.

       The Health Ministry reported that between June 2020 and December 2021, 174 children below the age of 18 had suffered from MIS-C due to Covid-19, which also resulted in seven deaths.

       Dr Selva Kumar said MIS-C was a severe condition that caused inflammation to organs including the heart, brain and lungs.

       “We have informed doctors they must act immediately if a child displays symptoms of MIS-C,” he said.

       Health Ministry figures showed that after Malaysia began vaccinating adolescents aged between 12 and 17, the number of MIS-C cases affecting the age group decreased, he said.

       “Meanwhile, the number of MIS-C cases involving those under 11, who have not been vaccinated then, have gone up.

       “That tells you that vaccination has done the work,” said Dr Selva Kumar.

       He said while many parents were worried about vaccinating their children over fears of AEFI (adverse events following immunisation), there were studies around the world to show that vaccines were safe for the young ones.

       “Our children have also started going to school. Despite all the SOP, children being children will find it hard to follow.

       “So get them vaccinated to reduce the risk of getting a severe Covid-19 infection,” he said.

       Dr Nik Khairulddin Nik Yusoff, a consultant paediatrician at Hospital Raja Perempuan Zainab II in Kota Baru, said the benefits of vaccination for children far outweigh the risk of developing AEFI.

       “Countries have vaccinated millions of children and world data shows that AEFI is very, very rare.

       “Some parents are still adopting a wait-and-see approach, but with the number of children being infected and hospitalised now increasing, it is important to vaccinate our kids,” he said.

       He added that parents and schools should also regularly test children for Covid-19 whenever they develop symptoms.

       “It can be difficult to differentiate symptoms for common cold or Covid-19 as they are similar.

       “The best advice is to test the child when these symptoms appear,” Dr Nik Khairulddin said.

       Malaysian Medical Association president Dr Koh Kar Chai noted that there were parents who were worried about adverse reactions from the vaccine and were thus hesitant to let their children get the jabs.

       These parents should consult paediatricians or family doctors for verified information before making a decision, he said in a statement.