This is after a high number of children and teenagers aged one to 17 tested positive for the virus over the past month in Sabah.
The seriousness of the problem is illustrated in the fact that for the period Aug 27 to Sept 3 alone, a total of 5,763 children in the state tested positive, with 249 of them being babies aged below one.
Consultant paediatrician Dr Kew Seih Teck said it was distressing that more children in Sabah are getting infected by the day.
He pointed out that aside from parents doing their utmost to avoid spreading the virus to their family members in the event they are infected, there is nothing much that can be done to keep children safe.
According to Kew, data shared by the Sabah government stated that most of the daily cases in the state were close contact infections.
“That means parents bring home the virus and subsequently infect their children. Most children were infected by the virus at home instead of at school.
“When the virus is in the community, even when you wear masks and face shields as well as adhere to physical distancing rules and have complete vaccination, it’s still not 100% protection,” he told FMT.
He added this was why children should be vaccinated, as they are at great risk of being infected.
Sarawak chief minister Abang Johari Openg had recently announced that the state was planning to vaccinate its children aged between 12 and 17.
He also called for parents to give their full cooperation to the state’s vaccination rollout for the age group which it is finalising with the health ministry and Sarawak disaster management committee.
Abang Johari said that there were 289,200 individuals aged between 12 and 17, which accounted for 9.94% of the population in Sarawak.
Kew, who is also the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) Sabah chairman, said the high number of cases among children has seen a surge in the number of Covid-19 patients admitted to the paediatrics section of the Children and Women’s Hospital in Likas.
“It initially had two wards in July and then increased to three in early August and just last week, it has gone up to four.
“Unfortunately I was told that the number of pregnant women infected by Covid-19 is also increasing,” he added.
He noted that most paediatricians also agreed that vaccination is the way to go to protect children against the virus.
“I think Sabah should follow Sarawak so that students could return to school for their face-to-face studies instead of online sessions which have limitations. The benefits of vaccines outweigh the risk,” Kew said.
Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) senior public health medicine specialist and public health unit head, Dr Yusof Ibrahim also concurred that vaccinating children was the best approach, considering the multiple variants of the virus now.
“Yes, after we reach our target with the adult population, then children,” he said.