PUTRAJAYA – A total of 250,556 Covid-19 cases among children aged from six to 15 were recorded in Malaysia last year, marking an additional 243,543 cases compared to 2020.
For the 6-10 age range, the number of infections last year stood at 161,935 in comparison to just 3,246 cases in 2020, while for those aged 11 to 15, there were 88,621 recorded cases in 2021, a stark contrast to 3,767 cases the year before.
Last year, the death figure for six to 10-year-olds was 17 while 27 deaths were recorded among those aged 11 to 16.
In 2020, there was one death among children aged six to 10 and two fatalities involving the 11- to 16-year-old category.
In an official statement, the Health Ministry stated that the Delta variant widespread between July and September last year was the primary contributor to the increase in Covid-19 infections in children.
“Another factor was that the vaccination programme for (those aged 12 to 18) only commenced on September 15 last year while the vaccination drive for kids of the age range five to 12 only began from February 3 this year,” the ministry said in a statement to The Vibes.
Up to December 5, only 43.4% or 1.54 million children aged from six to 12 have been completely vaccinated.
“As for teenagers aged from 12 to 18 up to December 5, a total of 2.86 million or 91.83% of them have completed the two doses while only 48,652 or 1.6% of them have received the first booster shot,” the statement said.
The ministry also urged the parents and guardians of children and teenagers who have yet to receive their jabs to do so as soon as possible to protect them and their loved ones.
“The ministry will always continuously monitor the Covid-19 infections situation among children and teenagers in the country.
“We will ensure that appropriate prevention and control measures are implemented constantly,” the statement added. – The Vibes, December 11, 2022
