A statement by Galen Centre for Health and Social Policy, endorsed by 20 leaders in the medical field, said Malaysians must be wary of the spread of misinformation about the various vaccines that have been approved globally, a number of which will arrive in the country this year.
“Any approved Covid-19 vaccine is given the green light because regulators determine, based on review of clinical trial evidence and data, that it is safe and effective, and carries significantly more benefits than risks,” it said.
“Arguably, it is far more harmful to one’s health to contract Covid-19 than to take an approved vaccine for the disease.”
The medical experts said statements peddling “fear-mongering and pseudoscience” regarding the mRNA vaccines approved by various global regulators “risk turning Malaysians off all Covid-19 vaccines entirely, as some may not differentiate between one type of Covid-19 vaccine with another”.
While the speed these vaccines have been developed is unprecedented, they reminded Malaysians that “these Covid-19 vaccine studies have been run with the same scientific rigour as for any other vaccines”.
“Scientists started work as soon as the Covid-19 pandemic hit the world. Large-scale clinical trials were conducted through global collaborative efforts by governments, international institutions, the private sector, research institutions, and non-profits,” the statement said.
It explained that while mRNA technology has not been used in vaccines before, it has seen uses in other areas of medicine and has proven safe in applications such as treating people with cancer, inherited immunodeficiencies, and metabolic, eye, and neuro-muscular diseases.
Adverse reactions and side effects to the new vaccines are to be expected in small numbers of cases, it said, noting that this is the case with many vaccines.
“However, vaccination produces overwhelmingly greater benefits to individuals and society than the risks due to adverse reactions. It is because of vaccines that infectious diseases such as polio and measles have been largely eliminated in many countries, or totally eradicated as is the case with smallpox,” it saisd.
With 87% of deaths due to Covid-19 involving patients with underlying health conditions, and the high prevalence of these conditions in the country, the group said this means “a large number of young and middle-aged people in Malaysia are at risk of developing severe Covid-19 disease and potentially dying from it”, if the virus is left unaddressed.
Additionally, it said, data from the US-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has shown that complications from the disease can last for weeks after post-recovery for some patients and affect even mild cases, and can include fatigue, chest pain, depression and problems with cognitive function.
It said there are still many hurdles to clear as the vaccine rollout begins, such as transparency in the procurement process and the logistics of inoculating the country’s entire adult population.
“Malaysia’s national Covid-19 vaccination programme requires an ‘all-of-society’ approach. We must work together to overcome serious immunisation hurdles when the vaccines finally arrive in our country. Fire-fighting constant misinformation and doubt distracts from the work that lies ahead,” it added.