February 24, 2021 @ 4:51pm
KUALA LUMPUR: The government must actively address the issue of vaccination hesitation in the country and Malaysians, as a whole, must have a national consensus on receiving the Covid-19 immunisation.
Federation of Malaysian Consumers Association secretary-general Datuk Paul Selvaraj said these issues must be tackled for the three-phase national Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (NIP) to be successful in the battle against the virus.
While the inoculation of Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah has instilled confidence in the people towards the vaccination, Selvaraj said it was important for the government to embark on active engagements with the people on getting vaccinated.
He suggested that the government could engage the help of community or religious leaders to convey the message to society.
"As a nation, we cannot afford to have divided opinions in the biggest ever vaccination exercise to fight Covid-19. Nowadays, certain quarters are influenced by different schools of thought and that is inevitable.
"It is unlike those days where vaccinations are taken as it is necessary but now, we have all sorts of debates and opinions.
"For the NIP to work, everyone has to be on board. Strong and consistent messages must be sent out to Malaysians on getting vaccinated and to dispel uncertainties, or else this will hamper the government's aim to achieve herd immunity and everyone will suffer," he told the New Straits Times.
Fire and Rescue Department director-general Datuk Seri Mohammad Hamdan Wahid said 15,000 of its personnel will be vaccinated in the first and second phases of the NIP.
A special committee, he said, has been set up to coordinate the vaccination exercise of its personnel.
"This is great news as some of our personnel are involved in managing the pandemic such as disinfection, decontamination and coordination operations such as the burial of Covid-19 patients, sanitation of public places and emergencies.
"With the vaccine, they will be more confident in dispensing their duties and will build a good immunity system which allows them to continue serving the people
"We hope the public will also support the NIP so that we can break the Covid-19 infection chain and achieve herd immunity."
