PETALING JAYA: Be sceptical and carry out comprehensive research before buying any products, says the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA).

       Its president, Dr Koh Kar Chai said MMA is well aware that products claiming to be able to detox vaccine and Adverse Event Following Immunization (AEFI) are widely being sold on the market.

       “If you are able to do an extensive search online on data about the vaccines, please apply the same level of scepticism on such products and do your research,” he said.

       Asked how certain individuals and companies are able to use the prefix “Dr” to their names or products, Dr Koh said, there are ways to use the title within the context of applicable laws.

       “For example, the title ‘Dr’ is given to those with a PhD for other disciplines. If in doubt as to whether a person using the designation ‘Dr’ is a qualified medical practitioner, a search can always be done with the Malaysian Medical Council which maintains a list of all registrable medical doctors,” he said.

       Former deputy health director-general Prof Datuk Dr Lokman Hakim Sulaiman, meanwhile, rubbished claims about products that were able to “detox” vaccine and AEFI.

       His view was also shared by Universiti Putra Malaysia medical epidemiologist Assoc Prof Dr Malina Osman.

       “The only one which has been scientifically proven is fresh coconut drink against cholera or food poisoning. No such scientific study has been done on vaccination or AEFI,” she said.