Ministry to address vaccination issue
KUALA LUMPUR: The Health Ministry is focusing on strengthening its strategies to address the increasing number of parents who reject vaccines.
Its minister, Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad, said the matter would be highlighted in the 2019 Budget.
He said he submitted a request for an additional allocation for health prevention and vaccination programmes, especially for the pneumococcal vaccine.
“I have requested the pneumococcal vaccination for children. It costs
RM180 million for
500,000 children per year.
“It is not part of the
100-day manifesto, but it is a serious matter.
“The pneumococcal vaccine prevents health-related problems, such as pneumonia, lung and kidney infections, and brain failure or meningitis,” he said at the BFM Health and Living Junior town hall organised by BFM Media Sdn Bhd here yesterday.
Present was Deputy Women, Family and Community Development Minister Hannah Yeoh.
“Data (obtained from public health facilities) showed that the number of families who refused vaccination for children aged 2 and below has increased from 637 cases in 2013 to 1,918 in 2014 and 1,541 in 2015.
“However, with the increased awareness via education and promotion of immunisation activities, the number of those who rejected vaccination has dropped slightly from 1,603 in 2016 to 1,404 last year.”
He said the ministry was considering mandatory vaccination under the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988, following the increase in the number of unvaccinated children.