Vaccine hesitancy and implications on childhood immunisation in Malaysia

Vaccine hesitancy and implications on childhood immunisation in Malaysia Noor Hazilah Abd Manaf, Mohd Azahadi Omar, Fatin Husna Suib International Journal of Health Governance, Vol. 27, No. 1, pp.76-86 The World Health Organization identified vaccine hesitancy as one of the ten threats to global health in 2019. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the implications and factors affecting parental decision on childhood immunisation in Malaysia. This paper reviews literature on vaccine hesitancy and evaluation of factors affecting parental decision on childhood immunisation in Malaysia. Vaccine hesitancy is a growing public health concern in Malaysia with factors such as influence of Internet and social media, personal choice and individual right, conspiracy theory, religious reasons and alternative medicine as among the influencing dynamics. An urban, educated demography operating within a postmodern medical paradigm compounds the diminishing value of vaccines. This paper provides a comprehensive examination of vaccine hesitancy in Malaysia. Critical appraisal on personal choice over societal responsibility within an Asian/Muslim collectivist society has not been discussed in previous studies. The acceptance of homeopathy as an Islamic medicine alternative is peculiar to multi-ethnic, multi-cultural Malaysia.
Source: International Journal of Health Governance - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Authors: Source Type: research