KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 27 — Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin has encouraged people to get vaccinated to protect themselves and others from Covid-19.
Khairy noted that when at least 70 per cent of the population is immunised, people will be protected from the disease overall through herd immunity.
“If you don’t protect yourself, you can’t protect other people,” Khairy told CodeBlue in an exclusive interview Monday.
“The tagline is ‘lindung diri, lindung semua’,” he added. “Just as how it started with one individual, the solution to it also begins with a single person. Each of us has to take that first step. Because if you don’t protect yourself, we’ll never protect each other.”
mRNA (messenger RNA) vaccines do not change one’s DNA. The mRNA technology used by the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines harnesses synthetic genetic material to instruct the body to produce the coronavirus’ signature spike protein in small amounts. The immune system then recognises this protein and produces protective antibodies against it.
The Special Muzakarah Committee of the National Council for Islamic Religious Affairs decided last December that Covid-19 vaccines are permissible for Muslims.