PICK adolescents: Day school students to receive vaccines on scheduled basis

PUTRAJAYA, Sept 22  -- Day school students will receive their vaccines through the National COVID-19 Immunisation Programme for Adolescents (PICK Adolescents) on a scheduled basis and take turns according to the dates and times set at the vaccination centre (PPV), said Deputy Health Minister Datuk Dr Noor Azmi Ghazali.

He said the vaccination schedule agreed by the district health office (PKD) and the district education office (PPD) would be issued by the respective schools for distribution to students and parents.

Adolescents in boarding schools under the Ministry of Education (MOE) and Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA), including persons with disabilities (PwD), will be given an appointment through the MySejahtera application, while non-school-going teenagers are allowed to walk in to PPVs which run PICK Adolescents without appointments.

“Youths with hearing, vision and learning disabilities in day schools will be given appointments according to the school rotation at PPVs.

"Adolescents in school with behavioural disabilities (ADHD, autism, mental) will be vaccinated by appointment at hospitals or health clinics," he said in a PICK Adolescents press conference with Deputy Education Minister Datuk Dr Mah Hang Soon at the Health Ministry (MOH) today.

According to Dr Noor Azmi, for adolescents with disabilities attending rehabilitation at community-based rehabilitation centres (PDKs), vaccines are given out through outreach programmes at PDKs or health facilities.

He said PwD teenagers in institutions would be vaccinated through an outreach programme, while PwD students at home would receive the vaccine through home visits from health workers or non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

“Teenagers in private schools or international schools will receive their vaccinations at school PPVs on a scheduled basis or outreach programmes outside the MOH or at private medical practitioners, as well as by appointment at selected private clinics.

"For teenagers under the age of 18 who are studying at public and private institutes of higher learning (IPTA and IPTS), they are allowed to walk in to all PPVs that are still operating," said Dr Noor Azmi, who is also the chairman of the COVID-19 Immunisation Task Force - Adolescent (CITF-A) .

He said to expand access to PICK Adolescents, 156 public and integrated PPVs will start operating tomorrow. These will be implemented by appointment through MySejahtera, walk-ins and scheduled vaccinations.

He also advised parents to bring their children to PPVs according to the vaccination schedule set, which is apart from informing the school if the student is unwell or does not attend the vaccination appointment so that a new appointment date can be made.

-- BERNAMA