WITH reference to your report “Expert: Ministry right not to endorse new dengue vaccine” (The Star, Aug 16), let me say that this vaccine is not similar to previous vaccines in terms of its efficacy (effectiveness) and safety.
The primary purpose of any vaccine is to provide specific protection (as a component of primary prevention – the other component being health promotion) to individuals at risk, especially against severe disease and death. That a comprehensive mass vaccination programme of the population at risk will go on to achieve satisfactory herd immunity is secondary. It would seem here that the herd immunity achieved by the vaccine against the predominant strains in Malaysia would be much less but that should not deter the country from entering into a mass vaccination programme for the age group nine to 14.
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