KUALA LUMPUR – A tweet by Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin implying that Chinese parents are more receptive about having their children vaccinated has met mixed reactions from netizens.
While some agreed with his assessment, others described the comparison as unfair.
In his tweet, Khairy said the uptake of vaccination under the Covid-19 Immunisation Programme for Children (PICKids) was much higher in Chinese vernacular schools than standard public schools.
Laporan pelaksanaan #PICKids PPV Sekolah di lapangan: di sebuah SJKC di Pulau Pinang hanya 5% murid tidak hadir untuk vaksinasi. Di SK berdekatan 70% tidak hadir untuk vaksinasi. Ini realiti di lapangan. Terima kasih kepada ibubapa yang melindungi anak anda.
— Khairy Jamaluddin ??? (@Khairykj) February 17, 2022
“On the ground report on the implementation of PICKids in schools. In an SJKC in Penang, only 5% of students were absent for their vaccination.
“In a Sekolah Kebangsaan nearby, 70% were not present for the jab. This is the reality on the ground. Thank you to parents who protect their children.”
In response, Twitter user @donkyuHae said the situation is somewhat similar for Malaysian adults, with fewer Malays getting their jabs of late, ostensibly referring to the booster programme.
“Don’t worry YB. If you look at vaccination centres, you can count the number of Malay adults with your fingers. I counted the other day. There were only two, including me.”
Jgn risau, YB. YB tgk kat PPV Flextronics pun, dewasa Melayu boleh kira pakai jari. Saya kira dah hari tu. 2 org termasuk saya. ?
— - (@donkyuHae) February 17, 2022
Another user @suffikamari said he observed a similar situation when taking his child to be vaccinated recently, with more Chinese parents seen at the centre than Malays.
“Chinese parents don’t get WhatsApp chain messages saying this is a Jewish agenda and that the Health Ministry and World Health Organisation are agents of dajjal (devil). Some even blamed MoH for fabricating data.”
Masa bawak anak aku amik Vaksin kanak kanak kelmarin pon aku observe ramai parent chinese yg bawak anak anak dia dapatkan vaksin. parent chinese xdapat wasap berantai kata ni agenda yahudi,WHO n KKM agen dajjal? ada yg blame KKM "fabricate" all data. Xde keje ke? huhu https://t.co/jmbgalQjNa
— ??suffikamari (@suffikamari) February 17, 2022
User @fortisafidelis said the drastic difference in the uptake of vaccination is down to the education system of both institutions, with one apparently more fixated on religion, and the other on actual education.
Shows the difference in education between SK and SJKC yea? One emphasised on religion and the other on actual education
— Semua Sama Shj (@fortisafidelis) February 17, 2022
User @MuhdHafis_ and @_norhaslizay suggested that more information on the vaccine be shared on Facebook, saying a large number of Malay parents are on the social media platform, and that there are also many anti-vaxxers there.
However, @shakeer_ahmad08 argued that the government has already done its part to educate the public on the effectiveness of vaccines, but that some parents tend to believe false information from unreliable sources.
“This is the main reason why 70% of the students did not attend their appointments. We can only give them food, but it is up to them to eat or not.”
I believe they have done their part on informing everyone on the effectiveness of vaccine & it is widely known that vaccine saves life.
— Shakeer Ahmad (@shakeer_ahmad08) February 17, 2022
Ibubapa lebih percaya sumber luar daripada sumber yang diberikan oleh pihak KKM. Ini adalah sebab terutama kenapa hanya 70% tidak hadir...
User @Abisyifa15 was however unimpressed by the comparison made just between two schools, and urged Khairy to check on the vaccine uptake among children in national public schools and Chinese vernacular schools nationwide.
Bukan hanya di penang YB. Harap YB dapat semak sambutan diseluruh negara. Bandingkan antara SJK dan SK.
— AbiSyifa (@Abisyifa15) February 17, 2022
Defending the low turnout among children of national schools, @FaizazmanFaiz said this is due to doubts among recipients who are now forced to take the booster shots.
Bukan tak percaya covid , percaya .. tp makin pelik dkt orang2 yg ambil sinovac sebab nak kena paksa ambil booster , silap langkah sampai dos ke4.. btw im pfizer..dulu mula2 asalkan 2dos dah boleh jalan , sekarang kena 3dos.. rasa sangsi. kalau mcm tu tiap2 7bulan renew?
— Faiz (@FaizazmanFaiz) February 17, 2022
“Those with Sinovac are forced to get a booster jab. There is a chance it might go up to four doses. I took Pfizer previously and had no issue with taking the two shots, but now I have to take another one, and this has created suspicion.
“I used to hate anti-vaxxers, but now that there is news of a fourth shot, I don't want to be seen as a bootlicker. If there is a fourth jab, I think it is better to jump off the Penang bridge.”
Dulu saya tak suka antivaks, tp bila dah masuk booster & dengar nak masuk untuk kali ke4 tiba2 saya jadi penjilat .Saya dah dibooster. If lepas ni ada yg ke4, saya rasa better terjun jambatan penang dr cucuk dos 4.
— Faiz (@FaizazmanFaiz) February 17, 2022
User @RajaFai62430867 uploaded an image of a child holding a placard that reads “we are not lab rats”, and congratulated parents who chose to protect their children by not getting them vaccinated.
Well done parents for protecting your children... pic.twitter.com/5QHv99taoP
— Raja Faisal (@RajaFai62430867) February 17, 2022
As of Tuesday, a total of 246,869 children aged between 5 and 11 have already gotten their first dose of the vaccine, while 892,974 are already registered. – The Vibes, February 17, 2022
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