KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 24 — The Ministry of Health has denied directing health clinics nationwide to avoid giving babies two types of vaccine jabs on the same day.

Health deputy director general Datuk Dr Lokman Hakim Sulaiman, who was quoted in a news report by The Star as saying so, denied ever making such a statement.

"My replies to several questions regarding this issue was misinterpreted which can cause confusion,” he said in a statement released today.

He warned the media to be more careful when reporting such issues and demanded that the newspaper publish a correction immediately so as not to confuse the public.

On the report published by The Star, he said he was trying to dispel claims by some parents that that the administration of two types of immunisation jabs on the same day could cause autism.

"I have explained that babies at 18 months were given a single shot of five-in-one vaccine DTaP-Hib/IPV (diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, haemophilus influenza B and polio) and that it is the same shot given at two, three and five months,” he said.

He said these shots clearly were not linked to autism and this was proven through strong evidences as mentioned in the report.

He further explained that according to the national immunisation schedule, the vaccination shots were given at different intervals unless the parents had missed out one of the jabs and wanted a replacement jab.

"This schedule of administering the jabs at intervals has nothing to do with some parents’ concerns on autism but is more for the comfort of the child and parents,” he stressed.

Today, The Star frontpaged a report with the title "One Shot Too Many” where the article claimed the ministry had directed all health clinics to avoid giving babies two types of vaccination jabs on the same day.

It also quoted Dr Lokman as saying immunisation shots were supposed to be given one at a time at intervals outlined in the national immunisation schedule.