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Misinformation On Vaccines Has Caused A Huge Spike In Vaccine-Preventable Diseases

Jan 22, 2019


misinformation on vaccines has caused a huge spike in vaccine-preventable diseases

Main image via Health Impact News

There have been several cases of misinformation about vaccines that has caused a huge spike in vaccine-preventable diseases. It was reported that there’s has been a 1000% increase in measles cases as compared to five years ago.

The Health Ministry said that the aggressive increase in vaccine-preventable diseases in Malaysia was primarily due to the misinformation about vaccines being spread on social media.

The Ministry reported that the number of measles related cases jumped from 195 cases in 2013 to 1934 in 2018, with 6 fatalities. None of the victims were immunised.

misinformation on vaccines has caused a huge spike in vaccine-preventable diseases

Image via Pexels

Based on monitoring efforts on social media, the director-general of the Health Ministry, Datuk Dr. Noor Hisham Abdullah has said that the influence of the “anti-vaccine crowd” has increased.

The World Health Organisation has identified vaccine rejection as one of the global health threats for 2019, he said.

He added that if the trend of rejecting vaccines continues, the likelihood for vaccine-preventable diseases will continue and all efforts done will be futile.

No matter the sources on health related information, it’s always good to check your facts with your doctor first.