dr. Mohamad Saifudin Hakim, M.Sc., Ph.D., a virologist from Universitas Gadjah Mada, pleaded the community to no longer doubt the Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine's halal certification. MUI proves this fact by issuing a halal fatwa that confirmed China's Covid-19 vaccine is unclean-element-free.
"The community should no longer doubt halal-haram stuff because MUI has confirmed that the Sinovac vaccine is halal and clean. So, there should be no confusion within the community to refuse vaccines," he said on Tuesday (12/1).
A UGM lecturer at the Faculty of Medicine, Public Health, and Nursing (FKKM) said that the action against vaccination programs had occurred for a long time. This resistance action tends to be more intense when the government stated a new type of vaccination program establishment.
"There are extremist anti-vaccine groups who will refuse the vaccination program for various reasons, no matter how clear the explanation is. They will refuse because of several excuses not only because of halal-haram aspects but also safety, effectiveness, and anti-medical background," said this member of the Covid-19 UGM FKKMK.
Nonetheless, some groups refuse vaccination programs because of their doubts. According to the judge, this group refused to take the vaccine because they received misinformation. However, if there is a rational explanation for its safety and effectiveness, they will normally take the vaccine.
For some time, the judge pleaded to the public to stop the polemic on the halal-haram of Sinovac's vaccine since there has been an MUI statement of all procedures and vaccine inspection stages completion to determine vaccines' halal and cleanness.
"Before issuing the fatwa, MUI has conducted a study by immediately observing the production process and examining it. They had issued the halal vaccine, and now, all we need to do is to wait for the The National Agency of Drug and Food Control or NA-DFC (BPOM) certainty of the vaccine's safety," he explained.
The judge said that BPOM is currently examining the effectiveness and side effects of the Sinovac vaccine until there is a safe-use statement issued to the public. He explained that all vaccines indeed have potential side effects. Two main side effects usually appear after vaccination: first, there would appear vicinal side effects such as pain, swelling, and redness around the injection area. Second, there would be systemic side effects such as fever.
"All vaccines are not 100 percent safe. There must be some particular side effects. Still, vaccination has the bigger benefits far outweigh the side effects," Hakim said.
Author: Ika
Photo: Kompas.com
Translator: Natasa A