KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) has stressed on the need to make vaccinations compulsory for all Malaysians in the wake of a polio case in the country — 27 years after it was eradicated.
Its president, Dr N. Ganabaskaran, yesterday said the National Immunisation Programme should be made mandatory.
He said while the case in Tuaran, Sabah, was an isolated one, parents should get their children vaccinated as a preventive measure.
“MMA is saddened to learn that a 3-month-old Malaysian baby boy is suffering from polio.
“Polio is a vaccine-preventable disease. The immunisation schedule in Malaysia, which includes the inactivated polio vaccine, is free for all citizens and contains a list of recommended vaccines from birth to 15 years of age.
“However, none of the vaccines are mandatory, despite all of the diseases being either life-threatening or potentially crippling.
“MMA urges the government to consider making vaccinations mandatory. As with most countries with a national vaccination programme, a National Vaccine Injury Compensation Programme (NVICP) must also be in place.”
He said disease control at border posts was important to prevent highly infectious viral diseases.
He said while border control needed to be improved to prevent an outbreak, access to healthcare must also be available to all.
This, he said, included the stateless, undocumented, refugees and illegal migrants in line with the principle of universal health coverage of leaving no one behind.
The NVICP is the first-ever United States “no-fault” compensation system for patients or their families who suffer serious adverse reactions from required childhood vaccines.
By removing most of the liability burden from manufacturers for immunisation-related injuries, the programme was expected to help stabilise the supply and price of vaccines. The NVICP was established as part of the 1986 National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act.
Dr Ganabaskaran said MMA lauded the ministry for detecting the case of polio (poliomyelitis) and the precautionary measures taken.
“The ministry has boosted its surveillance after the outbreak was declared in the Philippines in September.”
Malaysia’s last polio case was in 1992. In 2000, the country was declared polio-free.
There are three types of the wild polio virus. They could cause paralysis or even death.
The world was declared free of type 2 and type 3 of the virus by the World Health Organisation. Type 1 is still circulating in Afghanistan and Pakistan.