KUALA LUMPUR: A task force will draw up compulsory vaccination policies, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said today.

He said the task force would be led by the ministry’s Disease Control Division and the Family Health Development Division. It will also include other agencies so that it would be more comprehensive.

Dzulkefly said the ministry is stepping up efforts to create awareness and encourage parents to allow their children to be vaccinated at an early age.

“I know that it’s not easy to come up with a programme to make vaccination mandatory as there are various parties who use various arguments and reasonings to reject it,” Dzulkefly said after witnessed the signing of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) between his Ministry and the International Medical University (IMU), to collaborate in developing an interactive online training module on patient safety.

“I briefed about this matter to Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and we have formed a task force within the ministry to study and work on the matter. The immunisation vaccines are essential and serious because diseases such as diphtheria is a serious and life-threatening infectious disease which can be passed on easily between people.”

The Selangor State Health Department reported 154 cases of vaccine rejections recorded throughout 2018.

State Health Director, Datuk Dr Khalid Ibrahim said the data was obtained from hospitals and government clinics in Selangor last year.