Malaysian Muslims’ rejection of vaccines sparks fears of surge in contagious diseases
Parents are defying an immunisation drive on the grounds the medicines may contain pig DNA
More children are falling victim to contagious diseases in Muslim-majority Malaysia, worrying health authorities as parents reject immunisation programmes for fear the vaccines used infringe strict religious rules.
The deaths of five children in June from diphtheria, a disease that can be prevented by vaccines, provoked an outcry among doctors and spurred calls for an edict by religious authorities to compel Muslim families to immunise children.
“Our concern is, if it’s left uncontrolled, in the long-term we might see a significant effect on the nation as a whole,” said Health Minister S Subramaniam.
Although Muslim religious authorities have waived the stringent halal requirement if suitable vaccines are not available, concerns have redoubled recently that some may contain substances such as pig DNA, forbidden by Islam.
Paediatrician Musa Mohamad Nordin said there was a lot of misinformation in Malaysia’s Muslim community, mostly ethnic Malays who form 61 per cent of a population of about 30 million that includes substantial ethnic Chinese and Indian minorities.
