Whether valid or otherwise, there are a number of reasons why some among us Malaysians are vaccine-hesitant. Unfortunately, there are also anti-vaxxers who take things too far, spreading misinformation about the life-saving medical solution. And the government is considering taking legal action against said group.
According to Bernama, the government is considering legal action if anti-vaxxer groups were found to have pushed the public to be against the National COVID-19 Immunisation Program. Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said that so far, only 13 million people have registered to get their vaccine. But that is only half the number the government expected to register.
The report also states that he has asked the COVID-19 Vaccine Supply Access Guarantee Special Committee (JKJAV) to study the possibility of making the vaccine compulsory if the number of registrations remain low. In the meantime, he said that the government will do what it can to expedite the vaccination process.
The government did previously explore other methods to get the vaccine-hesitant to get the jab. This includes the possibility of letting people choose their preferred vaccine, though it was a short-lived idea. As for the nature of the legal action against people who are actively spreading vaccine misinformation, no details have been shared on the matter.
(Source: Bernama)
