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Kota Kinabalu: With 251 vaccination centres (PPVs) being set up to facilitate the vaccination of both adults and children in Sabah, the State Government has urged parents to get their kids vaccinated against Covid-19.Community Development and People’s Wellbeing Minister Datuk Shahelmey Yahya hoped the Covid-19 National Immunisation Programme for children (PICKids) would see a better response as parents become more aware of the need to ensure their children’s safety. “The (PICKids) programme, which started on Feb 3, did see an increased vaccination rate. On the first day, only 20 children turned up, but after that some 50-60 children turned up to get vaccinated daily. “We hope this can be increased. So we would like to call on parents out there to register for a MySejahtera appointment or attend on walk-in basis if they feel it is the best or easiest method,” he said when surveying the PICKids programme for children aged five to 11 at the Likas Women and Children’s Hospital, here, Wednesday. Also present was the hospital’s Director Dr Marcus Netto.

Shahlemey said parents are also entitled to get their booster shots when they bring their kids for vaccination at the facility. He said 251 health facilities and private clinics will operate as PPVs, to dispense vaccines for adults, children as well as booster shots. Additionally, he said schools have also requested the State Health Department to dispense the vaccine at schools in order to expedite the vaccination rate among school children. Shahelmey also encouraged Sabahans to go for their booster shots amid surging cases in view of the Omicron wave. “The booster shot is not mandatory by standard operating procedures (SOPs), but the public must be reminded that after completing both doses of the vaccine for a period of time, the body’s defence system (against Covid-19) will decrease. “This is why we need to opt for the booster shot to increase our body’s defence system to what it was before, especially with the Omicron wave where the infectivity rate is more potent compared to the Delta variant last year. “So to ensure that we prevent and continue to be protected against transmission, we urge the people to go for their booster shots,” he said. Asked if the State Government will impose any restrictions on movements or activities in view of Sabah’s rising cases, he said it has not been discussed in the State Cabinet.