‘Vaccine denial’ behind measles deaths in south Thailand

Cause for concern: The main cause of the outbreak of measles in southern Thailand is the large number of Muslims refusing to take the vaccine. — AFP

Bangkok: The “vaccine denial” common in some Muslim communities has contributed to the deaths of at least six patients, including children, during a measles outbreak in the far South.

Though vaccines are proven to prevent diseases, the Department of Disease Control is worried that a measles epidemic is quickly spreading in the three southernmost provinces of Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat due to a large proportion of the residents rejecting immunisation for religious reasons.