People watch the Budget 2020 speech by Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng ‘live’ at a restaurant in Medan Selera Medan Kidd in Ipoh October 11, 2019. — Picture by Farhan Najib
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 11 — The federal government has announced an initial allocation of RM60 million to provide pneumococcal vaccination for all children beginning next year.
In tabling the Supply Bill (Budget) 2020 in Parliament today, Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng said the allocation was to fulfil Pakatan Harapan's (PH) election manifesto promise.
Under Promise 9 of its Buku Harapan, PH said it will provide compulsory pneumococcal vaccination for all children under the age of two years, as is the practice in many other countries.
Pneumococcal diseases are infections caused by a bacterium called Streptococcus pneumoniae that infects adults and children alike but are more common in younger children and the elderly.
Examples of pneumococcal diseases included pneumonia, meningitis, febrile bacteraemia, otitis media, sinusitis and bronchitis.
According to the Health Ministry, pneumococcal diseases are one of the most widespread vaccine preventable diseases in Malaysia.
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