Study on mandatory vaccination to look into exemptions, compensation
PARLIAMENT | A feasibility study on mandatory vaccination for infants and children will cover issues related to exemptions, compensation, and reporting mechanisms for any adverse events following immunisation (AEFI).
Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad said the outcome of the study by a multi-agency task force will be presented as a working paper to the cabinet...
PARLIAMENT | A feasibility study on mandatory vaccination for infants and children will cover issues related to exemptions, compensation, and reporting mechanisms for any "adverse events following immunisation" (AEFI).
Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad said the outcome of the study by a multi-agency task force will be presented as a working paper to the cabinet.
"If we want to enforce mandatory vaccination, for sure it (the study) will take into account the existence of any exemptions, or whether we can allow any exemptions.
"Also, in the event of any adverse events, whether we have a compensation mechanism," said Dzulkefly in his response Kelvin Yii (Harapan-Bandar Kuching) during Minister's Question Time in the Dewan Rakyat this morning.
Contrary to the belief of anti-vaccination groups, the World Health Organisation defines AEFI as any untoward medical occurrence after immunisation and that it does not necessarily have a causal relationship with the use of the vaccine.
Support of 20 NGOs enlisted
As a result of its ongoing engagement efforts, Dzulkefly said the task force has formally enlisted the support of some 20 non-governmental organisations, including those representing homoeopathy practitioners, who are often perceived as being sceptical of modern medicine.
At the implementation stage, he said, the enforcement of mandatory vaccination would require an amendment to the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988.
Dzulkefly added that the government would also ensure an adequate supply of vaccines for both government and private hospitals, once the move has been enforced.
The rise of the anti-vaccination movement in Malaysia and abroad has been attributed to be a contributing factor to the re-emergence of diseases such as diphtheria and measles, which had previously been eradicated through vaccines.
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