Parents Should Not Worry About Bringing Children For Measles, Rubella Jabs – Exco

GEORGE TOWN, Aug 21 (Bernama) -- Parents have been advised not to worry about bringing their children to get the Measles-Rubella (MR) Supplementary Immunisation, which is being conducted by the Penang State Health Department (JKN) from Aug 4 to Oct 12.

State Youth, Sports and Health Committee chairman Daniel Gooi Si Zen said the Measles-Rubella Supplementary Immunisation Activity (MR SIA) is targeted at children aged six to 59 months or those born between Aug 1, 2020, and Jan 31, 2025.

“Measles and Rubella are highly contagious diseases and can cause serious complications such as pneumonia, encephalitis (brain inflammation), seizures, and, in worst cases, death.

“Getting vaccinated is crucial for early protection and preventing the spread of these diseases, so I urge parents and guardians to immediately bring their eligible children to receive the additional dose of the MR vaccine provided free of charge,” he said in a press conference at Komtar today.

He said the initiative, which is coordinated with the national campaign, aims to increase herd immunity and support the country's goal of eliminating measles by 2030.

Elaborating, Gooi said national statistics showed a nearly two-fold increase in cases last year, with 3,791 cases compared to 2,002 cases in 2023, with three deaths reported in 2024 involving children who had never received the Measles vaccine.

In Penang, he stated that 84 cases were recorded throughout 2024, a sharp increase compared to only 20 cases the previous year.

He said 24 cases have been recorded this year, as of July 26, while analysis found that nearly half of the cases were due to incomplete immunisation status.

“JKN is targeting 65,500 children for the MR SIA programme in Penang, but as of Aug 19, only 19,600 of the target group had received the additional immunisation, or 29.92 per cent, which means that there are still many children who have not been given protection, and efforts need to be intensified.

"Slots can be booked via the MySejahtera application or by walking into government health clinics," he said, adding that the Penang JKN outreach team would also be deployed to kindergartens, community centres, and non-citizen settlements to ensure that no child is left out of getting the MR immunisation.

-- BERNAMA