SEREMBAN: The Health Ministry is still conducting comprehensive studies and evaluations before making the dengue vaccine part of the National Immunisation Programme (NIP), says Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad.
The Health Minister said that the studies also included a cost-benefit analysis, considering the high price of the newly marketed dengue vaccine.
"One vaccine has obtained approval and has been registered by the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA) and is being used in private facilities. We are currently conducting a cost-benefit analysis on a dengue vaccine from Japan.
"To make it (the vaccine) part of the NIP is not easy. We have to study it carefully. We will make an announcement when we come to a decision," he said after officiating the Negeri Sembilan Dental Specialist Centre on Thursday (Aug 27).
Dzulkefly noted that over 61,000 dengue cases have been reported nationwide up to Epidemiological Week 33 of 2026 (until Aug 22), an increase of 60.8 per cent compared to the same period last year, with 58 deaths recorded.
As such, his ministry has activated the dengue operations room and deployed personnel to hotspots, especially in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor, as well as expanding the use of Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes as a biological control method.
Dzulkefly said that efforts to combat dengue also require the cooperation of all parties, including local authorities and related agencies, to ensure that residential areas and premises do not become breeding grounds for Aedes mosquitoes.
Meanwhile, he said the Health Ministry is reviewing the proposal to expand its basic dental screening and treatment into the PeKa B40 scheme and will implement it as soon as possible after receiving approval.
He said that dental programmes should be given attention as part of preventive treatment and primary healthcare, particularly in the management of non-communicable diseases (NCD).
Dzulkefly added that the Negeri Sembilan Dental Specialist Centre is the first dental specialist referral facility outside a hospital environment in Malaysia, and has handled 11,085 patients as of June this year.
According to him, the centre functions as a central zone reference hub covering Negeri Sembilan, Selangor, the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya, and Melaka, benefiting 11.89 million residents.
The ministry is also continuing to improve public access to basic dental services through outreach programmes, with eight new Mobile Dental Clinics set to be received by the end of this year in Sabah, Perlis, Penang, Selangor, Putrajaya and Johor. – Bernama
