Only 27.3% of tahfiz, religious school students in Penang vaccinated

Only 27.13% or 1,534 students studying at religious, tahfiz and Islamic schools in Penang have received their Covid-19 vaccination while 4,120 had yet to be jabbed as of yesterday.

State Health, Agriculture, Agro-based Industry and Rural Development Committee chairman Dr Norlela Ariffin urged parents and guardians to take their children to any of the 10 vaccination centres in the state.

“I urge parents or guardians to immediately bring their children to get vaccinated at the vaccination centres, which will cease operations early next month,” she said when contacted by Bernama today.

She said according to the Penang Islamic Religious Department, the students’ vaccinations are managed by their respective families.

Norlela also said that 85.9% or 121,489 out of 141,500 teenagers in the state had received at least one dose of vaccine under the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme as of yesterday.

She voiced hope that the health ministry would consider giving booster doses to some 40,000 frontliners and 482,000 senior citizens in Penang soon as well as individuals with comorbidities.

“This is for their additional protection so that there will not be a surge in Covid-19 cases following the lifting of the interstate travel ban,” she said.