Debunk anti-vaccine myths with scientific facts, says expert

KULAIJAYA: Everyone in Siti’s family (not her real name) has received both doses of the Covid-19 vaccine, except for her 50-year-old father.

The 30-year-old and her other family members are worried for him as some of their neighbours in Senai have not just fallen ill due to the virus, but have died from it.

“My father just refuses to get his vaccination even when the government allowed locals to walk in.

“We have tried our best to reach out to him but somehow, he seems to have made up his mind,” she said.

Her father, said Siti, had been negatively influenced by fake news spread over social media, especially on the Whatsapp application about the purported side effects or issues related to vaccines.

“We are worried that if the government decides to make life hard for anti-vaxxers like my father, we would have to fork out more money for him to carry out regular testing,” she said, adding that she and her brother lost their jobs due to the pandemic.

Siti hopes that the government will try to find a way to reach out to people like her father via counsellors or religious bodies before resorting to extreme measures.

Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin had recently said that the government would “make life difficult” for those who refused to be vaccinated without a valid reason, including having them undergo regular testing as well as denying them entry to certain public places.

A retiree known only as Jackson, who also refuses to take the vaccine, said he felt that the government was too harsh in its move to “make life difficult” for the anti-vaxxers.

People, said Jackson, who is in his 60s, should be allowed to choose what they want to do, instead of being forced to be inoculated, adding that he would also not permit his other family members to be vaccinated.

Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Faculty of Science lecturer Dr Mohd Bakri Bakar said presently, anti-vaxxers only made up a small number of the country’s population.

“We should also not be quick to label individuals as ‘anti-vax’ due to their hesitancy to take the vaccine but should instead understand their concerns.

“While there are those who are indeed anti-vaxxer, there are also people who just need more time to understand and digest the information before taking the jab.”

Malaysia, he added, had now achieved over 90% vaccination rate for adults, which is higher than the country’s previous target of seeing an 80% vaccination rate by early 2022.

“One of the key reasons for this is that the public now has a better understanding of the vaccine and there is ample information and research available to address the public’s concerns,” he said, adding that a Health Ministry’s survey last year showed that a majority of those who did not want the vaccine had cited safety as their main reason.

He said besides the government’s efforts to provide clarity on the vaccine, including debunking myths surrounding the vaccine, those from the medical field should also come out to speak on this matter.

“For example, you can now see social media content from experts debunking these myths and sharing their experiences.

“Prompt response from the authorities, including those in the form of press statements to explain viral posts is also crucial.

“These clarification allow the public to better understand the circumstances behind those posts and to avoid any misunderstanding that could easily spread fear,” he said.