Immunisation programme: Medical Association ‘concerned’ about slow pace in registrations

KUALA LUMPUR (March 13):  The Malaysian Medical Association is concerned about the slow pace in registrations for the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme, it said in a statement today.

“At the rate we are going, we may not reach the target of vaccinating 80% of the population even by the first quarter of 2022.

“We should aim to complete inoculating the population as early as possible and by this year,” president Professor Datuk Dr Subramaniam Muniandy said in the statement.

He said that “community leaders, village heads, heads of religious groups, corporate leaders, the business community, professional associations and even social influencers have a role to play in increasing registrations for the vaccine”.

He hoped that these groups “will do their part to encourage their communities or network to register early”.

“We have waited a year over for a way out of the pandemic and the answer has finally arrived. But many Malaysians seem to be hesitant about registering themselves for various reasons even now when the solution to the pandemic is available,” said Dr Subramaniam.

He explained that there is sufficient evidence to show that the vaccines are safe as any vaccine that is approved for use in the country has gone through stringent checks by the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA) “with the highest priority given to efficacy and safety”.

“Any side effects from the vaccine is known to be mild and any serious side effects are rare.
The benefits far outweigh the risks therefore people should not hesitate to register and get their loved ones registered as well,” he added.

Dr Subramaniam said the sooner the population is inoculated, the sooner the country can recover from the impact of the pandemic as businesses will be able to operate confidently without disruptions.

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