Kedah among states recording highest number of vaccine rejection cases

ALOR SETAR, 28 Feb (Bernama) -- Kedah is one of the states to record the highest number of vaccine rejection cases in the country with 139 cases reported last year compared to 133 cases in 2017. 

State Health director Datuk Dr Norhizan Ismail said in 2016, 176 vaccine rejection cases were recorded.

“Among the reasons for vaccine rejection in Kedah is the doubt cast on the status of the vaccine whether halal or non-halal and doubts about the content of the vaccine being not safe.

“Another reason is family influence, homeopathic medicine and worrying about the side effects of the vaccine,” he said in his posting on the social networking site here, today.

He said 17 cases of diphtheria were recorded in Kedah from 2015 to 2017, with four deaths recorded.

Dr Norhizan said one death from diphtheria was recorded in 2015, two deaths (2016) and one death (2017) and all the children were not vaccinated. 

No diphtheria case has been reported this year.

-- BERNAMA