By Zareef Muzammil
SHAH ALAM, Aug 7 — The Selangor government is mulling offering free vaccination to children aged 12 and below should the influenza A cases in the state do not show a downward trend.
State executive councillor for public health Dr Siti Mariah Mahmud said that the vaccine is currently available for free to adults who are registered under the Iltizam Selangor Sihat (ISS) programme.
She said that the children of the parents who are recipients of the ISS imitative can get the vaccine at a registered panel clinic.
“We have held a meeting with the Selangor State Health Department (JKNS) to see the need to offer the vaccine to children.
“Therefore, those who are already registered with the Skim Peduli Sihat, or now known as ISS, can get the vaccine for their children annually,” she said when met at the Selangor Saring programme at Dewan MBSA Kemuning Utama, here today.
Dr Siti Mariah said that the influenza A vaccine is not provided by the Health Ministry, such as the vaccines for polio and smallpox.
“If an individual would like to get the vaccine (influenza A), they would have to pay for it. That is why we had suggested providing it,” she added.
