Abstract
Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) on March 11, 2020 and has disrupted our daily lives and businesses catastrophically. SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) vaccinations offer hope to control the pandemic and assist in the return to normal social and economic life. Unfortunately, given the present vaccination rate in Malaysia, with about 6 million individuals, 19% of the population, receiving one dose by year's end, it is estimated roughly 3 million individuals, or 9.5 percent of the population, will be fully vaccinated by December 31, 2021. It is uncertain that we will be able to accomplish the government's goal of vaccinating 70% of the population by the end of December, which it deems to be the threshold for achieving herd immunity. This is due to the fact that the immunisation programme in Malaysia is voluntary, and since registration opened in February, 8.8 million people have signed up for the vaccine, accounting for around 36% of the 24 million individuals who are eligible. At this rate, it would take at least two years to achieve the 70% target. Government and employers are thus abridged with the task of balancing the safety of the population through the need of herd immunity with individual’s liberty taking into the consideration of human rights of patient autonomy and conscientious objections. As a result, now that COVID-19 vaccination is underway, it begs the question of whether COVID-19 immunisation should be made mandatory in order to boost immunisation rates and meet public health objectives.
Dayang Nur Afrina Afiqah Binti Abang Jamuri, Universiti Teknologi Mara Malaysia
dayang.afrina2017@gmail.com
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