For new parents who have just had their children in 2020, this is important news that you really should be taking note of! According to the Malaysian Deputy Minister of Health, Dr. Lee Boon Chye, it is expected that all babies who are born after 1st January 2020 will be eligible to receive free pneumococcal vaccinations from the Ministry of Health, as reported by The Star.
Source: Free Malaysia Today
That’s right, for all of you new parents out there, you won’t have to pay a single dime for your children’s pneumococcal vaccination, because the government will bear the complete cost of it, no questions asked. However, the program is only expected to take off in June of this year.
Source: Malay Mail
The wait is said to be due to the fact that the government is still waiting on batches of the vaccine to arrive to our shores.
“Babies born from 1st Jan this year onwards are eligible for the vaccination.
“People are asking about babies born before that. For that, the ministry has no budget, and thus we are not able to provide them with the vaccination, ” said the deputy minister.
As of this year, the Ministry of Health has a budget allocation of RM60 million from Budget 2020 to obtain the vaccines, which will be distributed to all government hospitals and health clinics.
Source: AARP
Pneumococcal vaccinations are meant to help protect babies against infections such as pneumonia, meningitis, bacteraemia and otitis media (middle ear infection).
So if you are a new parent with a baby born from 1st January 2020 onwards, this is definitely news that you should be taking into account! Always vaccinate your children, guys!
Also read: You Can SUE Anti-Vaxxer Parents In M’sia If Their Un-Vaccinated Kids Infect Your Own
