ABOUT 60% of adolescents aged between 12 and 17 are expected to receive at least one shot of the Covid-19 vaccine in November, said the Covid-19 Immunisation Task Force-Adolescents (CITF-A).

CITF-A said about 80% of the targeted group will be fully vaccinated before school reopens for the 2022 session.

The Health Ministry will prioritise 16- and 17-year-old adolescents who are sitting for national exams and have co-morbidities.

“This program is also targeting students in the private institutions, teenagers in shelters and rehabilitation centres and adolescents in the community, such as (those who are) homeless, refugees and foreigners,” the task force said in a statement today.

It also urged schools, private educational institutions, protection homes and rehabilitation centres to register their respective institutions to the Portal-Vaksin-Anak-ku.

Parents and guardians, on the other hand, can register their children via MySejahtera’s dependent feature, which will also enable a digital vaccination certificate to be issued to them.

The vaccination programme will be carried out via outreach programmes at schools and the relevant institutions.

As for those who are unable to attend with their parents or guardians, they will be given appointments at the nearest health clinics.

Adolescents with comorbidities will be inoculated at the hospital and health clinics they are receiving treatment from.

The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine will be administered to these adolescents.

Headed by deputy health minister Dr Noor Azmi Ghazali, CITF-A will oversee the vaccination for teenagers.

Sarawak was the first state to begin vaccination for this group. – September 15, 2021.