KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 6 — Despite rising vaccine hesitancy beyond Covid, some Malaysian parents continue to vaccinate their children, placing their trust in the benefits of the National Immunisation Programme (NIP).
Their stance is not just a personal choice, but a commitment to public health, reflecting the importance they place on protecting both their families and also surrounding communities.
Offshore consultant Fatiha Faidzan took her son, now aged 10 years, for all of his routine childhood vaccinations (both mandatory and optional shots in the NIP) at private clinics (the family was living in Brunei then).
“I’m not putting my child at risk of catching something or becoming a carrier on account of exposure to unvaccinated kids,” Fatiha told CodeBlue, noting an increasing number of unvaccinated children of parents who weren’t immunised themselves either.
“There’s no reasoning with people who are (self-proclaimed) ‘experts’.”
The mother living in Ampang/ Shah Alam in Selangor had also gotten her son immunised against Covid-19 under the PICKIds vaccination programme for under-12 children during the pandemic.
“It sounds crass, but a kid affected by ‘side effects of vaccines’ is better than a kid killed by Covid.”
Consultant paediatricians have previously reiterated that Covid-19 vaccines are safe and work for children, stressing that adverse events following immunisation (AEFI) from mRNA vaccines on children were mostly mild and brief, as reported in Malaysia, the United States, Canada, and Australia. These side effects consisted mainly of pain at the injection site, fatigue, and headaches.
Serious Covid complications in unvaccinated children include Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) that lead to hospitalisation for intensive care. Malaysian children have also died from Covid.
‘I Believe in Data and Studies’
Faten Baharuddin – a mother of two who is living in Gombak, Selangor – has been diligent in ensuring that her 13-year-old son and 10-year-old daughter receive their vaccinations under the NIP.
Both children received all the shots in the NIP, including the DTaP and MMR vaccines that help prevent diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (whooping cough), as well as measles, mumps, and rubella respectively.
“I was strict with the schedule for my firstborn and caught up on any delays with my second child before she started school,” Faten told CodeBlue.
“I believe in the data collected and studies done over the years. I do understand that not everything is risk-free, but having the shots done at hospitals means they have ways to mitigate or manage the risks if anything were to happen.”
Faten also got her children their Covid jabs under the PICKids programme during the pandemic.
“At that time, I felt that the risk of contracting Covid and the possible complications was greater than the risk of vaccine side effects. So I chose to protect them.”
Vaccinations Help Ensure Herd Immunity
Syaza Nazura Noor Azmi, who lives in Shah Alam, has taken her two-year-old daughter for childhood immunisations under the NIP.
These include the DTaP/HIB/IPV, MMR, Hepatitis B, rotavirus, pneumococcal, and chickenpox vaccines. The DTaP/HIB/IPV vaccine protects against diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis, as well as Haemophilus influenzae type B, and polio.
“Vaccines have a strong history of preventing deadly diseases. It’s not only about protecting my daughter, but also about ensuring herd immunity to protect others who may not be able to be vaccinated,” Syaza Nazura, who is assistant vice president at TalentCorp Malaysia, told CodeBlue.
“So far, most of my friends who have young kids are pro-vaccination. Being educated and aware of the pros of immunisation and the benefits that it can bring – not just to the children but also to the general public – helps in that decision-making. At the end of the day, it is about the collective good.”
Family Medicine Specialists’ Association Touts Tailored Approach To Manage Vaccine-Hesitant Parents
The NIP ensures that every baby born in Malaysia has access to fully subsidised vaccinations to prevent 13 major childhood diseases.
The Malaysian Family Medicine Specialists’ Association (FMSA), citing Ministry of Health (MOH) data, said vaccine refusal cases in Malaysia were on the rise even before the Covid-19 pandemic.
The introduction of a relatively new pneumococcal vaccine in the NIP also added to vaccine hesitancy.
“Nevertheless, parallel to the description by the World Health Organization (WHO) regarding the vaccine hesitancy spectrum, not all of the hesitant parents refuse vaccines for their children. As family medicine specialists, we are at the end of the referral system for vaccine hesitancy,” FMSA president Dr Nor Hazlin Talib told CodeBlue.
“We are seeing more patients being referred to us, but we do have quite a significant amount of those who finally accept vaccine after the counselling.”
The family medicine specialist, citing several local studies among parents and health care workers, listed five main reasons for vaccine refusal:
- Safety: Fear or traumatised by side effects.
- Efficacy: Including a complacent belief that even without vaccines, we can survive vaccine-preventable disease.
- Religious Incompatibility
- Alternatives: Mistaken perceptions that immunity from breast milk, supplements, or even medication like ivermectin can replace vaccines.
- Conspiracy theory: Became more rampant after the Covid-19 pandemic.
“In our experience, the most common reason we have encountered is either the perception that vaccines are harmful or previous side effects experienced by the parents, worsened by misinformation which makes parents worried about getting another shot,” said Dr Nor Hazlin.
To address these concerns, family medicine specialists follow guidelines from the Buku Panduan Menangani Ibu Bapa Yang Ragu atau Menolak Vaksin by MOH’s Family Health Development Division (BPKK) to manage vaccine refusal.
“We approach each case individually with specific strategies tailored to their hesitancy level,” Dr Nor Hazlin said.
She explained that with a tailored approach, health care professionals spend optimal resources of their time and energy to convert people with a higher likelihood of accepting vaccines – without dismissing those who aren’t.
“This is parallel to the strategies being advocated by WHO. In the end, the consultation is not about giving them vaccines, but it is to maintain a good therapeutic relationship based on trust while correcting misinformation with respect to the patient’s values.”
Paediatrician: Doctors Must Answer ‘Even The Most Trivial Questions’
Consultant paediatrician and paediatric cardiologist Dr Yong Junina Fadzil – who runs a child specialist clinic in Petaling Jaya, Selangor – said that there are still instances where some parents are hesitant to vaccinate their children, as they feel that it may cause more harm than good.
These vaccine-hesitant parents have misconceptions like the presence of aluminium in vaccines; exposure to pathogens can weaken their children, who should build immunity through natural infections instead; and linking vaccines to autism, as well as anecdotal stories about adverse effects experienced by others.
“This misinformation often comes from unverified ‘research’ shared among like-minded individuals, primarily through social media and the internet,” Dr Junina explained.
While misinformation continues on social media, accurate information from health care professionals can be challenging to find, she said. This difficulty is due to restrictions on advertising by medical professionals on social media and the busy schedules that prevent doctors from addressing these claims directly.
Parents can be equipped with the right knowledge through discussions with their child’s paediatrician.
“It’s crucial for doctors to be willing to answer even the most trivial questions, as these are often the same concerns raised by those advocating against vaccination,” Dr Junina said.
“I have encountered parents who are either unwilling or uncertain about vaccinating their children. I take the time to discuss their concerns, showing them the vaccine box and inserts to clarify the absence of aluminium in single-dose vaccines while realistically discussing side effects, instead of dismissing their worries with a blanket statement like ‘don’t worry, vaccines are safe’.
“As a parent myself, I understand their perspective – they aren’t opting out of vaccinations to harm their children. On the contrary, they love their children and want to protect them from any harm. It’s essential to explain how vaccines work and debunk unfounded beliefs in simple terms. If they remain hesitant, I work with them to schedule the vaccines at their comfort level.
“However, I remind them that delaying vaccinations may increase their child’s risk of contracting preventable infections. I hope that by providing detailed, understandable information, I can counter the claims made by those against vaccination.”
