Don’t gamble with your lives, MMA warns the unvaccinated

 

The Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) has warned those who are unvaccinated to not gamble with their lives by refusing the Covid-19 vaccines.

In a statement today, MMA president Dr Koh Kar Chai noted that despite the country’s transition to endemicity, hospitals are still seeing hospitalisations and Covid-19 deaths on a daily basis.

“While symptoms of Covid-19 with the Omicron variant are mostly mild, it is not always the case.

“If a person's natural immune system is weak, there is still the possibility of severe symptoms when infected with the virus, even if they have been vaxxed, what more those who haven't even received their primary jabs.

“Hence, MMA's message to the public is ‘don't gamble with your life. Get the maximum protection available through vaccination and a booster shot’,” said Koh.

The MMA president also stressed that senior citizens and those with comorbidities who have yet to receive their booster shot should not delay any further.

“The Omicron variant is highly transmissible, and this makes the likelihood of everyone contracting Covid-19 at some point, high. So, it is best to get the additional protection of a booster shot.

“If you are still unsure, do consult your family doctor,” he advised.

Sinovac recipients need booster

He added that nothing much can be done for those still adamant about not taking the boosters as concerted efforts had been made to raise public awareness on the issue.

“Evidence has shown that those vaccinated with two doses of the Sinovac vaccine will require a booster dose to ensure adequate levels of immunity. This is particularly so in the elderly and those with comorbidities,” said Koh.

Yesterday, the Health Ministry reported 20,923 new daily Covid-19 cases, bringing the total cumulative cases to 4,122,004.

Over the past week, an average of 67.6 people were reported to have died of Covid-19, while the average for the past 30 days was 74.3, indicating that Covid-19 deaths are on the downtrend.

Since the start of the pandemic in March 2020, a total of 34,751 deaths have been attributed to Covid-19.

There have been 1,968 reported Covid-19 deaths this month. For comparison, there were 771 deaths last month and 491 deaths in January.

Malaysia has the highest number of deaths per capita in the Asean and East Asian regions with 1,049 deaths per one million population, and fourth-worst in Asia after Iran, Lebanon and Jordan – all in the Middle East. - Mkini