KUALA LUMPUR:Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation Khairy Jamaluddin once again assured that only vaccines that are truly safe and effective will be used in the country.
In a recent post on his blog, the Rembau MP said the vaccine had been tested on tens of thousands of people before being approved, and millions of people around the world had already started receiving their vaccines.
He added that Malaysians are urged to be confident in science, not conspiracy theories that are shared in families and friends' WhatsApp groups that cite fake sources.
"There is no evidence that this vaccine is harmful to their lives or health. This vaccine will not change the DNA of the recipient.
"This vaccine does not contain any microchips to take over our minds. This vaccine is not the agenda of the Illuminati who want to establish a New World Order. This vaccine is produced by science, " he added.
Pakatan Harapan (PH) had previously urged the Federal Government to immediately conduct a 'Confidence in Vaccines Campaign', to ensure that the people feel safe to use the COVID-19 vaccine, thereby reducing the risk of the virus.
In a statement earlier this month, the PH Immunization Task Force said they were concerned that the influence of the "Anti-Vaxxer" group could undermine the confidence of Malaysians, and ultimately pose a risk to the national vaccine program targets.
Commenting further, Khairy said, the more Malaysians receive vaccine injections, the infection will start to decline among the community.
"When we are confident in science, we will be confident in the COVID-19 vaccine. When we are confident, as many as possible will receive their injections. When many receive these vaccines, the number of infections will start to decrease. The number of deaths and patients admitted to the ICU will begin to decline.
"When the infection decreases, more economic and social activities can be carried out without too strict restrictions. This is a direct link of successful immunization programs to economic recovery. It is very closely related, " he added.
Khairy said countries that have launched the COVID-19 immunisation program have begun to show a positive recovery in their economies.
Following the implementation of the COVID-19 immunisation program worldwide, he explained, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) expects the global economy to grow at a rate of 5.5% this year, an increase from their initial forecast of 5.2%.
"For Malaysia, the World Bank predicts that the Malaysian economy will grow again at a rate of 6.7% by 2021, but this is subject to the smoothness and effectiveness of the immunisation program, the country's export position and the level of investment in Malaysia," he added.
The successful implementation of the National COVID-19 Immunisation Program, he further explained, is important to ensure that the prognosis can be achieved.
Through the immunisation program, Khary said, the economic recovery process will be smooth when more economic activities can be opened.
"For example, when the country's borders reopen, severely affected sectors such as aviation and tourism will be able to operate again.
Similarly, factories that can operate without risk should be closed due to the infection of fellow workers.
"Continuous economic chains will enable the economic cycle to run smoothly which will bring benefits not only to the country but also to the daily lives of the people," he added.
Thus, Khairy said, any disruption in the immunisation program as well as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic will continue to lead the country towards economic uncertainty and will force the movement control as it continues.
“Therefore, I would like to call on every member of the community to support the National COVID-19 Immunisation Program which will begin at the end of this month.
"When the time comes for us to receive the vaccine, immediately register so that our target to achieve group immunity can be accelerated which in turn allows the economic recovery process to be accelerated," he added.
Firdaus Azil
Sun Feb 14 2021
Malaysians are urged to be confident in science, not conspiracy theories that are shared in families and friends' WhatsApp groups that cite fake sources. ASTRO AWANI / SHAHIR OMAR pic
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