LETTER | Discard losing full vaccinated status ‘threat’ to allure booster

LETTER | It is shocking to read the media reports on Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin reminding people to get the booster shot or lose fully vaccinated status.

Would the "threat" of losing vaccination status allure people for the third dose? Is there no other option to encourage them to come forward for the booster dose?

The losing of full vaccination status for failure to take the booster dose is an incorrect way of dealing with this matter but the wide dissemination of accurate information on the need for the booster short will surely help.

Many are becoming careless of the ‘full vaccinated’ status as despite the complete vaccination some are still contracting the virus although most with minor strain.

Withdrawing the full vaccination status and thereby restricting their movements at certain public places which are made available only to the fully vaccinated may only attract legal challenge for the obvious violation of their enshrined human rights in Part II of the Federal Constitution.

This is no longer a "public health" matter that requires a booster dose among the recipients of Sinovac. 

They were given the full vaccination status after completing the two doses and thereafter to withdraw it simply because of their failure and/or refusal to take the booster would make them have some distrust in the way this matter is handled by the authority.

It is all about the failure of the authority to strictly ensure that only vaccines which have been proven to be effective against the covid-19 virus are made available for public use.

It is hoped that other more viable and effective measures to allure the booster dose for the Sinovac vaccine recipients should be explored. 

Besides showing sound evidence of why the booster dose is necessary as a measure against the deadlier variant of the covid-19 virus, it is also important to engage with them directly and listen to their concerns, if any.

But surely losing vaccination status is not the right choice as this would only project the government’s indecisive stand on certain vaccines.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.