BY: SYASYA SUFIAN
SHAH ALAM, JUN 29: The State Government calls on all parents to cooperate with vaccination programmes for the sake of their children’s health and well-being.
Health, Welfare, Women and Family Development Exco Dr Daroyah Alwi said denying children vaccinations will delay the success of the policy of having 95% of locals vaccinated.
This would ultimately open communities and the country to the risk of epidemics, something that is preventable through vaccination.
“In fact, one of Smart Selangor’s agenda is to create a conducive and healthy environment for Selangor citizens to enjoy an optimum quality of life, as emphasised by His Royal Highness the Sultan of Selangor in his speech recently,” she said.
Daroyah advised the community to adopt a positive attitude towards vaccination, an issue that has garnered a lot of attention lately.
She added that parents who reject vaccinations are also putting the rest of the community at risk.
“This is our mutual responsibility as a community since it affects not just one person but the community as a whole, and most especially our loved ones,” she said.
At the same time, Daroyah said that Selangor is still diphtheria free and several preventive strategies have been formulated by the Selangor State Health Department.
The strategies include ‘mopping up’ activities at areas identified to be at risk such as areas inhabited by many foreigners, anti-vaccination parents and areas populated by the poor and indigents.
“Health education on the importance of diphtheria immunisation and its symptoms will be intensified at clinics and hospitals as well as through pamphlet and poster distribution at childcare centres.
“Information will also be disseminated through print and electronic media as well as social media to provide accurate and up-to-date information to the public and to avoid misunderstandings and confusion,” she said.
So far, there are 11 confirmed diphtheria cases – three in Malacca and eight in Kedah – with only three out of these fully immunised.
