Increase vaccine purchase best way to curb Covid-19 spread – experts

KUALA LUMPUR: The government’s suggestion of increasing the purchase of Covid-19 vaccine to innoculate 70 per cent of the population is seen as the best way to curb the spread of the pandemic in the country.

Sungai Buloh Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Medical Faculty infectious disease specialist Dr Rosnida Mohd Noh said such a move suited the current situation, as it would create herd immunity.

She said the remaining 30 per cent of the population would be protected if 70 per cent of the people received the Covid-19 vaccine.

“We view the increase as a good decision. The aim would be to create herd immunity to protect those who do not receive the vaccine, including children and pregnant women,” she told Bernama yesterday.

She was commenting on Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s suggestion on Sunday that the purchase of Covid-19 vaccines be increased to 70 per cent as opposed to the original 30 per cent.

Muhyiddin said this was because some countries that purchased the vaccine had bought quantities that exceeded their populations.

Dr Rosnida said an increase in the number of people who received the vaccine will indirectly protect those who did not receive it from being infected with the virus.

Echoing Dr Rosnida, occupational health specialist and general health doctor at Kasih Cyberjaya Hospital, Dr Hanafiah Bashirun said the Ministry of Health (MOH) had the expertise in determining how many doses of the vaccine would be needed by the people in the country.

“This vaccine will be given to healthy people as early prevention, so when more people receive the vaccine, the virus’ infection rate would drop.

“We have to remember that the vaccine will be delivered in stages and not everyone will receive it simultaneously. So when some people haven’t received the vaccine, there might be new infections,” he explained.

Meanwhile, Pertubuhan Doktor-Doktor Islam Malaysia (PERDIM) president Datuk Dr Ahmad Shukri Ismail said the association supported the increase in purchases but tests on the vaccine would be needed to determine its effectiveness.

“We hope the vaccine can be beneficial, especially to frontliners although we are not sure of its results.

“This vaccine is new so we need to conduct a lot of research, including getting data from other countries that are using the same vaccine,” he said.

The Malaysian Department of Islamic Development (JAKIM) also needed to play a proactive role in determining the halal status for the vaccine so that it will not be questioned by the Muslim community in the country, he said.

“Actually, following the standard operating procedures (SOP) is of top priority, when everyone adheres to the SOP, indirectly it will help us to avoid being infected by the virus,” he added.