SEREMBAN, Aug 27 — The Ministry of Health (MOH) is still conducting comprehensive studies and evaluations before making the dengue vaccine part of the National Immunisation Programme (NIP), said its minister, Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad.

Dzulkefly said that the studies also included a cost-benefit analysis, considering that the price of the newly marketed dengue vaccine is still quite high.

"I know that one vaccine has obtained approval and has been registered by the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA) and is being used in private facilities. Do give us some time...we are currently conducting a cost-benefit analysis on a dengue vaccine from Japan.

"To make it part of the NIP is not easy. We have to study it carefully ... besides that, there are several other vaccines in the planning by the Health Ministry. We are waiting for reasonable ones and will announce them if we make a decision,” he said to reporters.

Dzulkefly said this after officiating the Negeri Sembilan Dental Specialist Centre (PPPNS), an event also attended by the Health deputy director-general (Oral Health) Dr. Zuraida Mohamed, who is also the State Health director Dr. Zuraida Mohamed, here today.

He said over 61,000 dengue cases have been reported nationwide up to Epidemiological Week 33 of 2026 (until Aug 22), an increase of 60.8 per cent compared to the same period last year, with 58 deaths recorded.

Therefore, he said, the MOH activated the dengue operations room and deployed personnel to areas identified as hotspots, especially in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor, as well as expanding the use of the Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes as a biological control method.

Dzulkefly said that efforts to combat dengue are not only the responsibility of the MOH, but also require the cooperation of all parties, including local authorities and related agencies, to ensure that residential areas and premises do not become breeding grounds for the Aedes mosquitoes.

Meanwhile, he said the health ministry is reviewing the proposal to expand its basic dental screening and treatment into the PeKa B40 scheme and will implement it as soon as possible after receiving approval.

He said that dental programmes should be given attention as part of preventive treatment and primary healthcare, particularly in the management of non-communicable diseases (NCD).

Meanwhile, Dzulkefly said the PPPNS, with a cost of RM32 million, is the first dental specialist referral facility outside a hospital environment in Malaysia, and since operating from Sept 25, 2025, it has handled 11,085 patients as of this June.

According to him, the PPPNS functions as a central zone reference hub covering Negeri Sembilan, Selangor, the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya, and Melaka, benefitting 11.89 million residents.

"With the addition of 18 modern dental chairs, our daily treatment capacity has surged by nearly 90 per cent from 80 patients to 150 patients per day, and the waiting period for specialist treatment has also decreased from two months to two to three weeks,” he said.

He also said the transformation is driven by the Dental Information System, in addition to modern imaging facilities and skill labs that serve as centres for continuous clinical training to hone the competencies of dental staff.

"This centralised model will be expanded to other states in phases, starting with zonal levels such as the central zone in Negeri Sembilan and the Borneo zone before continuing by state to ensure equitable access to services,” he added.

The MOH is also continuing to improve public access to basic dental services through outreach programmes, with eight new Mobile Dental Clinics set to be received by the end of this year in Sabah, Perlis, Penang, Selangor, Putrajaya and Johor. — Bernama