KUALA LUMPUR, January 5 – A group of 20 scientists, doctors and concerned people yesterday urged Malaysians to get their Covid-19 vaccine pictures as soon as possible, claiming that the disease caused by the coronavirus more dangerous than the ban.
In a joint statement, they said the Covid-19 vaccine would only give a green light once regulators have proven that it is safe, effective and carries far more benefits than risks, based on reviews of evidence clinical trial and data.
“Those who question the safety of Covid-19 vaccines say they are not against vaxxers,” they said, referring to a group of conspiracy theorists who oppose vaccines and vaccines based on misinformation and disinfection.
“However, the tone of their message – which contains the clear call to avoid Covid-19 vaccines, even those approved by regulators – is very similar to vaccine-laden people across the board who are against shots such as the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine for their children. ”
They added that repeated doubts about the government’s supply of Covid-19 vaccines could contribute to vaccine discontent among Malaysia.
This comes as it did last week, the Ministry of Health revealed the findings of their study where about a third of polled Malaysians said they are afraid or suspicious of Covid-19 vaccines with the major- some express fears that there may be side effects.
The remainder, or 67 per cent of the 212,006 respondents who took part in the survey, were more welcoming, with up to 95 per cent expressing confidence that the vaccines are safe to use.
They added that critics are free to call for more data and transparency related to all aspects of Covid-19 vaccines but that it should not be clouded by anti-capitalist sentiment and political ideology.
“The National Medicines Regulatory Agency (NPRA) uses a rigorous and in-depth process in evaluating all vaccines and medicines for use in Malaysia. The essential features of a vaccine that we should be concerned about, given to the NPRA, are its effectiveness and safety, ”they said.
They added that while the pace of development of Covid-19 vaccines is unparalleled, mRNA technology has been around since the early 2000s, while the early confirmation of the concept of using gene-based medicine to produce the proteins needed to fight disease published back in 1990.
“Scientists began to work as soon as the Covid-19 pandemic struck the world. Large-scale clinical trials have been conducted through global collaborative efforts with governments, international institutions, the private sector, research institutes, and nonprofits. These Covid-19 vaccine studies have been run with the same scientific strength as any other vaccine, ”they said.
They also shared that a safe vaccine does not mean it is completely free from side effects or adverse events. The H1N1 vaccine, for example, was associated with a very low risk of Guillain-Barré syndrome (a rare autoimmune disorder that causes zero damage), affecting 1.6 cases among every million people who received it. vaccine.
“However, the vaccine offers far more benefits to individuals and society than the risks due to its adverse effects. Infectious diseases such as polio and measles have been largely eradicated by vaccines in many countries, or eradicated by smallpox, ”they said.
The statement was confirmed among others by former Tan Sri health directors Dr Abu Bakar Suleiman and Tan Sri Dr Ismail Merican, Datuk deputy general director Dr Christopher Lee and Datuk Professor Dr Lokman Hakim Sulaiman, an expert infectious disease Professor Datuk Dr Adeeba Kamarulzaman, Federation President of the Association of Private Medical Practitioners Dr Steven Chow, and President of the Malaysian Medical Association Dr Datuk Dr Subramaniam Muniandy.