Health ministry to study inclusion of Pneumococcal vaccine in NIP

GEORGE TOWN: The Health Ministry will conduct a study to see if there is an urgent need to include the pneumococcal (PnD) vaccine in the National Immunisation Programme (NIP), said Deputy Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Hilmi Yahaya.
He said that he would bring it up with the ministry's Public Health Department and if the study finds that there is a need, the ministry will include it in the NIP.
"So far, there is no need to include the vaccine in the NIP and we will conduct a comprehensive study to see if there is and to see if there are many cases involving pneumococcal disease and if there is a need for the ministry to list it in the NIP.
"At present, under the NIP, every child, starting from newborn babies, will get various vaccinations to prevent 13 dangerous diseases, and each year the federal government spends RM120 million for this programme," he told reporters after officiating the community hall of the Bayan Indah Police Housing near here today.
Construction work on the hall began on Nov 6 last year and was completed in February, at a cost of RM200,000. Also present at the event was Penang Deputy Police Chief Datuk Roslee Chik.
Dr Hilmi, who is Balilk Pulau Member of Parliament, was commenting on the suggestion made by chairman of the Asian Strategic Alliance for Pneumococcal Disease Prevention (ASAP) Datuk Dr Zulkifli Ismail who wanted PnD vaccine to be included in the NIP so that more people would have access to basic health care and to prevent children under the age of two years from contracting the disease.
Dr Zulkifli was reported as saying that at present, more than 136 countries had included the PnD vaccine in their NIPs, while Malaysia was one of 54 nations which had not done so.
PnD infection is caused by the Streptococcus Pneumoniae and is also known as pneumococcus. It is usually found in the respiratory tract of children and spread through coughing or sneezing. The disease can also result in brain damage, deafness, slow-learning and paralysis. — Bernama