With this initiative by the administrators at Sekolah Kebangsaan Jalan 4, Bangi, all 2,408 pupils have been successfully vaccinated with at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine.

According to Hamizon Hamid, the school’s senior assistant for student affairs and vaccination programme coordinator, it had resorted to doing this out of fear of a possible increase in Covid-19 cases among the pupils after the Aidilfitri celebrations.

In addition, he said this initiative had also helped their parents a great deal as they would otherwise have been forced to take their children to PPVs located far away from their homes.

Hamizon said the school reached out to the district and state education authorities who worked with the health department. Hospital Islam Az-Zahrah was appointed to carry out the PPV school outreach programme here.

“We want to make sure that all our pupils receive at least one dose before Hari Raya because chances are that Covid-19 cases might increase after the Aidilfitri celebrations and no one can predict its severity.

“People are still being infected even as we are transitioning to the endemic phase.

“Therefore, in order to reduce the infections in the school, which can disrupt teaching and learning, we established our own PPV for easy access to the vaccines,” he told FMT.

Meanwhile, the PPV coordinator from Hospital Islam Az-Zahrah, Azzah Suboh, said the four-day PICKids programme was highly successful.

The programme is also open to members of the local community who want to get their second booster doses.

“This is the first time that we’ve collaborated with a school to provide on-site vaccination.

“We are extremely happy to be given this opportunity to set up a PPV at this school,” she told FMT.

She added that the school would reopen the centre after eight weeks for the pupils to get their second dose.

“Get your children the maximum protection that they need before the PICKids programme ends on May 15,” she urged parents.