KUALA TERENGGANU, Sept 21 — The Terengganu Health Department is targeting all 38,114 Form Four and Five students in the state to take their first dose of Covid-19 vaccine injection by October 2.

State Health director Datuk Dr Kasemani Embong said the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (PICK) for Adolescents in Terengganu kicked off today involving 56 schools that were turned into vaccination centres (PPV) in stages.

"Apart from secondary schools under the Ministry of Education, the 38,114 students are also from private schools, Mara Junior Science College (MRSM) and tahfiz centres.

"For teenagers who do not go to school or who go to school outside the district, they can get their vaccine shots at PPVs and 20 selected health clinics in each district on a ‘walk-in’ basis,” she told reporters after reviewing the process of administering Covid-19 vaccines to students in Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Sultan Sulaiman here today.

Nearly 800 students from three schools, namely SMK Padang Negara, SMK Sultan Sulaiman and SM Agama Atas Sultan Zainal Abidin (SMAASZA), received their first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.

Apart from that, Dr Kasemani said as many as 8,000 students with health problems would receive the vaccine when they underwent follow-up examinations at nearby hospitals and clinics.

"Since September 15, a total of 98 people have been vaccinated,” she said, adding that feedback from parents has been very positive on the vaccination for adolescents in Terengganu so far.

When met, some of the students said they were very happy to be given priority to receive the vaccine because they are eager to start the face-to-face school session on October 3.

One of them, Ahmad Aleef Daniel Sukri, 17, from SMAASZA said he felt safer and more confident going to school because the vaccine was a "shield” against the virus.

"I can’t wait to go to school because it’s hard to follow the PdPR (home-based teaching and learning method)... moreover, it’s easier to study face to face with teachers at school,” he said.

Muhammad Harith Adib Azuri, 17, said the vaccine was the best way so far to protect oneself from Covid-19 apart from taking care of personal hygiene as recommended by the government.

"I will be relieved after getting the vaccine because I am really excited to go back to school to be better prepared to sit for the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia next year,” he said. — Bernama