Malaysians are paying around 100 U.S. dollars for a pair of shots of the newly introduced QDenga vaccine. Some of them already have first-hand experience of dengue.
AHMAD SUFI QDenga Dengue Vaccine Recipient “I had to stay in the hospital for about a week. It’s not something that you want to go through. It’s pretty bad. And yeah, and I come to get the vaccine because I’ve experienced this before, and I’ll tell you, it’s not worth it.”
Dr. Musa Nordin is urging his patients to take the new vaccine against a disease that has killed dozens of people here so far this year.
DR. MUSA MOHD NORDIN Physician, KPJ Damansara Specialist Hospital “I think these are all preventable deaths and I think with the vaccine available, we can better control the disease, we can prevent hospitalization. Hopefully we can prevent another dengue death.”
Malaysia undertakes fogging to kill the mosquitoes that carry dengue, as well as routine inspections to find breeding grounds. It has also been testing the introduction of mosquitoes infected with a virus that renders the wild population sterile. But still the disease takes a huge toll on the country.
RIAN MAELZER Kuala Lumpur “It’s in high density housing like this government-subsidized apartment complex where people are most at risk of contracting dengue.”
For now, the vaccine is only available through the private medical system at a cost that will likely put off lower income people.
AZRUL MOHD KHALIB CEO, Galen Centre for Health and Social Policy “When we look at how much dengue is costing the country today it’s around 200 million U.S. dollars per year. The cost of the vaccine is a clear cost benefit for the country as a whole. If you’re able to protect your population then you are able to prevent them from becoming a burden for the health system, but also taking them out from the workforce.”
Analysts expect Malaysia’s government to use its bargaining power to get a lower price for the vaccine so that it can soon be rolled out more widely here – prioritizing those living in areas with the highest dengue risk.
Original article: https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-08-13/VHJhbnNjcmlwdDgwMjY3/index.html
