KUALA LUMPUR, May 14 — The Ministry of Health (MOH) will take action against doctors who promote alternatives to the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine, deputy minister Dr Lee Boon Chye said today.
The Star Online reported Dr Lee as saying that some doctors advocated clearly ineffective alternative medicines and homeopathy.
“If there are doctors who are involved in such practices, we will take action against them.
“Those who promote alternative methods, we too will take action against them, because they are conducting a practice that will harm the health of a child,” he was quoted saying at Beacon Hospital in Petaling Jaya.
Dr Lee also said MMR vaccine coverage still fell short of the 95 per cent required for herd immunity, as it only reached 89 per cent in 2017 and 90 per cent last year.
“The coverage is still insufficient to provide a herd immunity to the community, but we will increase our efforts to ensure that the coverage of MMR would be above 95 per cent.”
Berita Harian reported Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad as saying yesterday that MOH would not take action against anti-vaccination doctors.
He instead reportedly said that the public could lodge reports to the Malaysian Medical Council (MMC), who would then decide what action to take against these doctors.
