KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 17 – Field reports show that ethnic Chinese parents are more willing to vaccinate their children against Covid-19 than Malays, Khairy Jamaluddin indicated today.
In a tweet today, the health minister highlighted that only 5 per cent of school children in a certain Chinese vernacular primary school, or SJKC, in Penang did not show up for their coronavirus vaccinations.
But in a nearby government primary school, which he did not name, the no-show rate for the children’s Covid-19 vaccine was a high 70 per cent.
“This is the reality of what’s happening on the ground (with PICKids). Thank you to the parents who are protecting their children,” Khairy said.
So far, 8.2 per cent of children aged five to 11 years have taken their first Covid-19 vaccine dose.
In an earlier tweet posted last week, Khairy acknowledged that less than 50 per cent of Malays in the country have received a Covid-19 booster dose.
As of February 10, Khairy said only 47.9 per cent of Malays have received a booster dose, compared to ethnic Chinese at 81.3 per cent, ethnic Indians (56.4 per cent), Orang Asli (49.6 per cent), and others (50.6 per cent).
Among states, Sarawak has the best booster rate at 76.8 per cent, followed by Melaka (71.9 per cent), Klang Valley (66.9 per cent), Negeri Sembilan (62.4 per cent), Penang (61.5 per cent), and the Federal Territory of Labuan (57.1 per cent).
