Although children who contract Covid-19 are less likely to develop severe symptoms, they are not immune to the disease. Until recently, children in Malaysia have been barred from getting their shots, although the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine has been approved for children aged 12 and above since June. In Malaysia, it took the government two months to set a date for children to get their shots, delaying the decision due to the unlikely risk of myocarditis and pericarditis – inflammation of the heart – among adolescent recipients. Head of the Independent Covid-19 Vaccination Advisory Committee Datuk Dr Awang Bulgiba Awang Mahmud said there was no need to reopen schools. He added that every health district office has a school health team experienced in vaccinating children that could be mobilised for this purpose.

Source: The Star August 17, 2021 23:37 UTC