Five kids test positive for diphtheria

Reports by RAZAK AHMAD, VENESA DEVI, ZAKIAH KOYA, IVAN LOH, HANIS ZAINAL and LOH FOON FONG 

JOHOR BARU: Five children have tested positive for diphtheria after coming into contact with the two-year-old toddler believed to have died from the disease last week.

Johor Health, Environment and Agriculture Committee chairman Dr Sahruddin Jamal said the children, aged four and below, were among 52 people tested for the disease.

“They tested positive, including the deceased’s four-year-old sister, who also did not receive immunisation for diphtheria.

“Four of the children, who are neighbours of the toddler, were immunised,” he told reporters at Sultanah Aminah Hospital here yesterday.

The infected children, he said, had been placed in an isolation ward and were receiving medical care.

Dr Sahruddin said their condition was stable, adding that three were expected to be discharged today if they showed no symptoms.

According to the World Health Organisation, no vaccine is 100% effective and not all vaccinated develop immunity. However, vaccinations significantly lower the risk of getting infected.

Dr Sahruddin said there were four diphtheria cases reported in Johor since last October, including three children between 10 months and two years old.

“Two of them died and all three were not vaccinated,” he said, adding that some 7% of children in Johor did not receive vaccinations despite counselling.

The state government, said Dr Sahruddin, supported the Health Ministry’s proposal to make immunisation vaccination compulsory.

“I am in full support of the proposal as there have been rare cases resurfacing in Johor such as diphtheria due to the refusal of certain parents to vaccinate their children.

“If the federal government wants to make immunisation vaccination compulsory or impose a fine for those refusing to comply, we will give our fullest support,” he said.

Diphtheria is caused by the infection of the Corynebacterium diphtheria bacteria with symptoms ranging from fever and sore throat to thick covering at the back of the throat and swollen tonsils.

The disease can lead to organ failure as well as blood and heart infections, resulting in death.

In Kota Kinabalu, Sabah Health and Wellbeing Minister Datuk Stephen Wong said it would discuss with the ministry on a programme to vaccinate all babies and children in the state as part of efforts to prevent the spread of measles from an outbreak in the Philippines.

It was reported that over 11,000 people had contracted measles in the Philippines in less than two months, with 189 deaths.

The immunisation programme will see every baby and child in Sabah, including those from the stateless communities, get vaccinated.

As at Feb 9, there were three measles cases reported in Sabah involving non-immunised children aged between one and six, including two non-citizens.

Last year, Sabah recorded 73 cases of measles with one death.

The district with the highest number of cases was Kudat, followed by Semporna, Kota Kinabalu and Tawau.