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KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 5,887 students aged between 12 and 17 in schools based at military camps nationwide will be vaccinated under the back-to-school vaccination programme in support of the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme for adolescents that kicked off yesterday.

Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said 255 Form 4 and Form 5 students of SMK Desa Tun Hussein Onn received their first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine yesterday, while the remaining 675 students were expected to be vaccinated by Thursday.

Vaccinations for students at four other schools in military camps – Mara Junior Science College and SMK Kem Terendak in Terendak Camp, Melaka; SMK Pangkalan TLDM at the naval base in Lumut, Perak; and SMK Tanjung Pengelih in Johor – will be carried out in stages at a vaccination centre nearby.

“The vaccination of primary school pupils, involving 330 from SK Kem Kementah and SK Desa Tun Hussein Onn here, is also expected to be done on Thursday.

“The vaccination for students of the Royal Military College at the Sungai Besi Camp here will be implemented as soon as the 504 students return to the college on Sept 27,” Hishammuddin told a joint media conference with Education Minister Datuk Dr Radzi Jidin after checking out the back-to-school vaccination programme at SMK Desa Tun Hussein Onn here yesterday.

The programme is a joint effort between the Defence and Education ministries, meant specifically for students at military camps.

The vaccination of adolescents, which began simultaneously nationwide yesterday, is aimed at inoculating 3.2 million teenagers aged between 12 and 17. — Bernama