jan/Feb, 2020 | The Health
Issue: Pneumococcal Vaccine
13
Vaccination: The
beginning of a new era
An interview with Dr Zulkifli on his views towards the pneumococcal
vaccination intiative
“T
he RM60 million is a
start and is still better
than nothing,” says
Datuk Dr Zulkifli Ismail,
a committee member of
Malaysian Paediatrician
If an unvaccinated
child gets infected,
they will infect other
who either had not,
could not or are
medically not suitable
to be vaccinated.”
Association.
“The commitment by the current govern-
ment is more than what we got from the
previous one. This is a first step and the
Ministry of Health has to now work within
this budget and get the best possible deal from
-Dr Zulkifli
the different companies. The companies also
have to play their part and think of providing
the vaccine for the population rather than appropriate age. The priority ones will be
keeping their profit margins,” he continues.
children with chronic illnesses like asthma,
The pneumococcal virus is a highly infec- thalassemia, those on immunosuppressive
tious virus that could potentially cause death. treatments, those children sent to day care
“Pneumococcus is a major cause of bacterial centres, etc. All children should really be given
pneumonia and has exceeded Haemophilus the vaccine and there is an added advantage
influenza as a cause of meningitis (inflam- that the incidence of PCV among elderly
mation of the brain lining) after Malaysia adults will also reduce.”
introduced the Hib vaccine in our national
Reaching to the public
program.”
The goal is to eradicate the
Public awareness plays an important role
pneumococcal virus in Malay-
in eradicating the pneumococcal virus.
sia. According to Dr Zulkifli,
According to Dr Zulkifli, the infection
pneumococcal conjugate The pneumococcal can begin at a young age. “If an unvac-
vaccine (PCV) has showed
cinated child gets infected, they will
virus is a highly
effectiveness in reducing infectious virus that infect other who either had not, could
pneumococcal pneumonia could potentioally not or are medically not suitable to be
vaccinated.”
and all-cause pneumonia in
cause death
many countries where it’s been
An example is the Filipino
used by as much as 50 to 90 per
child who brought measles to the
cent.
US through Disney World or the kin-
The reduction in otitis media (middle ear dergarten child in Paris who infected his
infection) by about 30 per cent has also been kindie-mates. An unvaccinated individual can
documented in many countries after intro- also transmit whooping cough or pertussis
duction of PCV. Essentially, the PCV is known to a baby who is too young to be vaccinated.
to protect the user from two different viruses.
Efforts were made to increase the public
As the PCV is child-friendly, vaccinations knowledge in regards to PCV and vaccination
should take place in an early age. “Right- in general. “As far as PCV is concerned, the
fully, it should be given to all children at the MPA has been educating and advocating with
Fact
FULL SUPPORT:
Dr Zulkifli hopes to
see the law to make
vaccination mandatory
for the children.
our fellow doctors, parents and the public in
general since 2005 when the vaccine first
came to our shores simultaneously with the
Philippines,” he explains.
In regards of vaccination law in Malaysia,
Dr Zulkifli has this to say: “We at the Malay-
sian Paediatric Association (MPA) along
with many other professional organizations
would like to see a law to make vaccination
mandatory. As we see it now, we have had our
first polio resurgence in 27 years and we are
nowhere near controlling measles.”
According to Dr Zulkifli, smallpox was
eliminated from our world in 1980 through
the efforts of healthcare workers in the past
using a law that made smallpox inoculation
compulsory in the late 1950s and 60s in
Malaysia. “We are close to ending the scourge
of polio and the next WHO target is going to
be measles elimination.”
According to research, Malaysia is one
of the South Eastern country that are late
on adopting the PCV vaccination. “Most of
our neighbouring countries have already
introduced PCV. We have been slow to adopt
it because the cost is prohibitive and the
government before did not want to commit
money to increasing vaccination but dwelt on
tall buildings.” — The Health
Pneumococcal carriers can
infect other children in their
group of peers.