In a nation where we are struggling with uncertainties stemming from the pandemic, vaccinating our young children is a big step towards returning to normal life.
When the government launched Covid-19 National Immunisation Programme for Children (PICKids), I was thrilled, and worried, at the same time.
Thrilled because my nine-year-old son could finally get his vaccine against Covid-19, but worried because he has trypanophobia.
Yes, the fear of needles is real. Although his fear of needles is “mild”, he is still afraid of getting the shots because he is terrified of the pain it would cause.
Hence, the last immunisation shot appointment he had a few years ago, was a nightmare. He hid behind the door of the clinic and covered his arm, so that the doctor could not jab him.
So, when I told my son that his Covid-19 vaccination appointment was one week away, I could see he was not pleased.
He understood why he had to take it, but the mere thought of the needle terrified him.
For that entire week, he would ask every day, just how bad the pain would be. He would pinch me, and himself, to test the degree of pain.
When the day arrived, he woke up early, agitated, and nervous. He tried to do other things to distract himself and to not think about it, but his mind would always wander back to it.
When we arrived at the school compound where the vaccination was being held, we went through the registration and consultation process.
Everything went smoothly. I had expected lots of crying and wailing, but fortunately, that morning, this superhero of mine sat still, held my hand, took a deep breath and had only squinched his eyes shut.
Perhaps, the fact that the vaccination was being held in the school compound, where his teachers and friends were around, helped with the “must control macho” face.
Nevertheless, he had finally gathered the courage and faced his fears head-on. I couldn’t have been prouder of him.
I could also see him beaming beneath his face mask the moment the nurse removed the needle.
Within 30 minutes, we headed home and celebrated with an ice cream feast.
But as a parent, I couldn’t help but to worry about the other side effects, such as fever. In the hours after the jab, I would constantly ask how he felt, if he was in pain, or felt anything off.
One week after his vaccination, and his only complaint was that his arm was slightly sore (but he was still able to hold his iPad).
He was still active and had an unusual increase in appetite (I was not complaining since he is a light eater).
Currently, more children are contracting the virus.
Last week, Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said there was a sharp rise in the number of Covid-19 cases among children under the age of 11.
He said in 2020, there were 7,730 cases, while in 2021, there were 379,245 cases.
“This year, since January to mid-March, there were 119,719 cases involving children under 12,” he said.
The vaccination rate for children aged five to 11 is currently only at 30 per cent (since it was launched in early February). Many parents are still adopting the “wait-and-see” approach as they are worried about the effects of the vaccine on their children.
No parent wants his or her child to be exposed to harm. With the vaccination, no one knows for sure how the children will react to the jab, just as in the case of the adults.
While the vaccine does not totally eliminate the risk of contracting Covid-19, it can greatly reduce the odds of developing severe symptoms.
This is the personal opinion of the writer and does not necessarily represent the views of Twentytwo13.
