BAGAN SERAI, May 21 ― The Ministry of Health (MoH) does not plan to extend the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme for Children (PICKids) which is scheduled to end on May 31.

Deputy Health Minister Datuk Dr Noor Azmi Ghazali said the MoH had given enough time to parents to bring their children to be vaccinated for free and after this, the vaccination would be available for a fee at private facilities.

"So far, we have no plan to extend. It was supposed to end on May 15 but has been extended to May 31 because we want parents to bring their children to get vaccinated,” he told reporters after opening the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) annual general meeting of Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan. (SMK) Abu Bakar Al Baqir here today.

Dr Noor Azmi said the daily number of children receiving the vaccine showed an increase after Aidilfitri from May 17, namely 1,981 people on May 16, May 17 (2,798), May 18 (2,806), May 19 (3,747) and yesterday (7,137).

He explained that Sarawak recorded the highest percentage of children who had been vaccinated at 87.4 per cent followed by Kuala Lumpur, Johor, Negri Sembilan, Penang and Labuan. ― Bernama