Young people should be agents to disseminate accurate information on COVID-19 booster dose

An expert in public health (epidemiology and biostatistics) at Universiti Putra Malaysia, Prof Dr Malina Osman said such a step should be taken in view of the inaccurate information on the effects of taking the booster dose being circulated, causing concern among the community.

She said in a family, it would be the responsibility of the children to convey the correct information to their parents by explaining the benefits of taking the booster dose.

"Sometimes , it is not the vaccine that is the cause of health complications, maybe the recipient has other diseases but did not go for health checks before taking the vaccine. So this is where children need to play their role by explaining the matter properly.

"The community also needs to be educated to obtain authentic information from those who have background in medicine, not from other professions," she told Bernama.

She said experts at the Health Ministry (MOH) should work with the media to make effective announcements on the need for booster dose injections in the face of the new wave of COVID-19.

Meanwhile, KPJ Ampang Puteri Specialist Hospital physician and infectious disease consultant Dr Muhamad Yazli Yuhana opined that the public's understanding of booster dose injections should be based on clinical studies and views from physicians and not influenced by sentiment or assumptions that had not yet been proven valid.

He said the government would not recommend the injection if it was harmful to the public.

The public, he said, should also not take lightly the current situation of COVID-19 infection caused by the Omicron variant even though the number of infected patients were mostly in category one and two.

Category one refers to asymptomatic patients, category two (mild symptoms), category three (lung infection), category four (lung infection and in need of oxygen) and category five (critical, organ damaged and in need of a ventilator).

"The society should understand that the Omicron variant emerged when the COVID-19 vaccine was already available to provide early protection, but it does not mean the early injection is enough to fully protect them, especially those in risk group.

"So don't be selfish by not taking the vaccine or the booster dose. Think about other people," he added.

Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin had called on the public to immediately get the COVID-19 booster dose injection as Malaysia was now facing the wave of the Omicron variant, with the daily COVID-19 cases expected to reach 15,000 soon.

Based on the COVIDNOW website, a total of 12,361,663 individuals or 52.8 per cent of the adult population in the country have received the COVID-19 booster dose injections as of yesterday, while 22,929,493 adults or 97.9 per cent have completed their vaccination and 99.2 per cent or 23,238,753 individuals have received at least one dose of the vaccine.