COMMENT Every Muslim takes meningococcal vaccine as a pre-condition to be allowed to enter Makkah to perform the haj. This is to prevent them from suffering from meningitis (infection affecting the brain).

Antitetanus is a vaccine given to all patients sustaining wound injuries when they get treatment at emergency departments unless they are already vaccinated. This is to prevent them from suffering from tetanus infection which causes the body muscles to be in constant contraction and affecting breathing.

All these vaccines were given as they easily protect patients and the public from having to suffer the infections.

There was a article by Jerry D Grya in his book claiming that vaccine was just Jewish propaganda and created for company profit as well as to weaken Muslims. This is not true as vaccines are routinely prescribed to the Isreali population to protect them from diseases.

There was a movement in Britain led by a Dr Abdul Majed Katme who claimed himself as the spokesperson for the ‘Islamic Medical Association UK’, saying that vaccines are created from dirty materials and even contain traces of pork. This is not true.

Dr Katme - a psychiatrist - distracted people’s thoughts and asked them to use ‘natural ways.’ It was discovered that the ‘Islamic Medical Association UK’ had no members, staff or office. His views were opposed by Muslim doctors and organisations in the UK.

There was a scientific paper by Dr Andrew Wakefield, a gastroenterologist and researcher, published in British Medical Journal claiming that the Mumps, Measles and Rubella (MMR) vaccine could cause autism. This temporarily caused the reduction of vaccination rate in the UK. He also tried to market a diagnostic set to make money. A further probe found that he had falsified his findings. His practice licence had been suspended till today.

Data from the World Health Organisation (WHO) shows that vaccination saves 2.5 million lives each year. In fact 1.5 million children die every year simply for not being vaccinated. Vaccines are also determined as among the most economic approach for global challenge in health. If vaccination could be extended to poor countries, an estimation of US$151 billion (about RM600 million) could be saved.

Vaccines are also so effective that diseases such as smallpox were officially declared eradicated in 1980, since vaccination of the disease was advocated since 1967 by the WHO.

Those who do not receive vaccines actually get protection from those who are vaccinated around them. This is called ‘herd immunity’. This is the reason why many of unvaccinated people do not get infection. Nevertheless, once the number of unvaccinated people getting infection increases, this ‘herd immunity’ shall be destroyed and people will be at risk of infection and even death.

From the eyes of Islam, the administration of vaccine provides more good than bad. In fact there are more Muslim scholars going to the extent of saying that it is sinful for Muslims to deny vaccine for their children unless there are some obstacles such as allergies or weak immune system.

Malaysian Muslim doctors are in full agreement that vaccines are important and effective to prevent or reduce the risk of infection and 100% recommend its prescription.

We really need religious leaders, scholars and experts to assist us to spread the importance of vaccination as it is indeed in line with the teachings of Islam which places great importance for society protection against infectious disease.

DR ALZAMANI MOHAMMAD IDROSE is a Consultant Emergency Physician and Disaster Medicine Specialist with Hospital Kuala Lumpur.