Latest news with #vaccination
Malay Mail
17 hours ago
- Politics
- Malay Mail
Appeals Court backs Malaysian Armed Forces in dismissal of soldier who refused Covid-19 jab
PUTRAJAYA, July 29 — The Court of Appeal today dismissed a former soldier's appeal to challenge his termination of service from the Malaysian Armed Forces for refusing the Covid-19 vaccination. The three-man bench led by Justice Datuk Azimah Omar said there was no illegality or procedural impropriety on the part of the respondents when dismissing Wan Ramli Wan Seman from service. 'The court is of the view that the appeal is without merit and therefore, dismissed,' she said. No order as to costs was made. Sitting with her were Justices Datuk Wong Kian Kheong and Datuk Ismail Brahim. Wan Ramli, 43, is appealing against the 2023 High Court's dismissal of his judicial review to challenge the decision of the respondents. In his judicial review, Wan Ramli had named Lt-Col Sharull Hesham Md Yasin, Lt Mohamad Azammunir Mohd Ashri, Army Chief General Tan Sri Zamrose Mohd Zain, the Malaysian Armed Forces and the Malaysian Government as respondents. Wan Ramli sought a certiorari order to quash the termination letter dated Aug 4, 2021, discharging him from service, and a declaration that the letter of his discharge was null and void. He claimed that due to the dishonourable discharge from service, he has lost his right to pension under Article 147 of the Federal Constitution. The former soldier said his discharge was invalid on the grounds that the action by the respondents was disproportionate in all circumstances of the case, oppressive, irrational, unreasonable, amounted to unlawful discrimination, and took into account irrelevant considerations. The then High Court judge Datuk Ahmad Kamal Md. Shahid (now Court of Appeal judge) held that the decision made to discharge Wan Ramli was in accordance with the law and was not tainted with illegality, irrationality or procedural impropriety. In the proceeding before the Court of Appeal today, Wan Ramli was represented by lawyer Hafiz Norkhan while senior federal counsel Nurhafizza Azizan and Federal Counsel Solehheen Mohammad Zaki appeared for the respondents. — Bernama
BBC News
17 hours ago
- Health
- BBC News
Gonorrhoea vaccination appointments open
A vaccination programme against gonorrhoea will begin across Northern Ireland in August with eligible people being asked to make an appointment eligible include gay and bisexual men who have a recent history of multiple sexual partners or have recently had a sexually transmitted infection (STI).Gonorrhoea is now the most prevalent STI diagnosed in sexual health clinics in Northern Ireland, according to the Public Health Agency (PHA).England will also begin its vaccination roll out in August this year. The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) recommended roll out of the vaccine in November 2023 following an upsurge in gonorrhoea Spiers, Immunisation and Vaccination Programme Manager at the PHA, said around eight out of 10 gonorrhoea infections occur in men."Gay and bisexual men are most commonly affected, so by offering the vaccine to those most at risk it will not only help to protect them against the disease but will also help to reduce the spread," she vaccine is an existing one for meningococcal B disease, called UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) research shows that those who receive the jab could be protected from the STI by up to 40% and it could help tackle levels of antibiotic-resistant strains of the vaccine will be available through GUM clinics within regional Health and Social Care Trusts. Gonorrhoea diagnoses in NI have risen sharply since 2022. There were 1606 gonorrhoea diagnoses in 2022, which was two and a half times higher than the previous year, and this high level of gonorrhoea diagnosis was sustained in 2023. There was a small decline in 2024 to 1,208 cases, according to PHA data. What is gonorrhoea? Gonorrhoea is easily passed from person to person through unprotected one in 10 infected men and almost half of infected women do not experience any infection can be passed from a pregnant woman to her baby, and without treatment, can cause permanent blindness for a newborn is not spread by non-sexual contact like is not transmitted through surfaces and materials like toilet seats, towels, cups or you have had successful treatment for gonorrhoea before, you can still catch it NHS.
The Independent
a day ago
- Health
- The Independent
Family issue warning after mother's rabies symptoms stayed hidden for months
A family whose mother died from rabies after a puppy scratched her has issued a warning after her symptoms did not show for four months. Yvonne Ford, 59, was scratched while on holiday in Morocco in February. Her daughter and son Robyn and Adam, together with her husband Ron, spoke to This Morning to raise awareness of the disease and urge the public to get vaccinated, as well as check government advice before visiting a country. "We don't want the people to go through what we've gone through. Seeing your mum deteriorate in seven days like that. We don't want anybody to see that ever again," Adam said.
CTV News
a day ago
- Health
- CTV News
Mpox: Montreal public health warns of new cases
Montreal Public Health is warning of a slight uptick in mpox in recent weeks and is calling for increased vigilance. In a memo published last Thursday for health-care professionals and partners, the agency said it recorded six new mpox cases in the last few weeks, for a total of nine cases so far in 2025. Last year, Montreal Public Health recorded 38 mpox cases compared to 11 in 2023. During the 2022 mpox outbreak, 400 cases were diagnosed in the city. It said four of the six recent cases were transmitted within the city, while the other two may have been infected abroad. 'As with the outbreaks in 2022 and autumn 2024, transmission mainly involves men who have sex with men. All cases were infected with the clade 2b virus (the same clade as in 2022),' the memo said. 'Vaccinated cases are generally less symptomatic than unvaccinated cases.' The memo also urged health-care workers to stay vigilant and encourage mpox vaccination among those who could be vulnerable to infection. Mpox is transmitted through direct contact between skin and the lesions or biological fluids of an infected person, especially during sexual activity. Symptoms include a fever, headache, fatigue, chills, and muscle aches, followed by skin rashes that can be very painful. The incubation period is usually five to seven days, but can last up to 21 days. The contagious period begins when symptoms appear and ends when the skin lesions have completely healed. Mpox usually goes away on its own within one month of infection, though some complications have been reported.
ABC News
2 days ago
- Health
- ABC News
Doctors urge caution as Perth family shares heartbreak of losing little girl to influenza
Medical experts have issued a call for people to get vaccinated against the flu, after the death of a two-year-old Perth girl in May marked the first time a toddler had succumbed to the virus in WA this winter. The little girl's family shared their tragic experience over the weekend, describing their daughter, Aabi, as the "heart of our home". In an open letter shared by the Immunisation Foundation of Australia, the toddler's family described how quickly the girl deteriorated from influenza — from a slight fever to unresponsive in just two days — shortly after they returned from an overseas holiday. "Saturday, May 3, began normally. After her routine banana and milk, Aabi vomited about an hour later," her mother wrote. "As I cleaned her, I noticed she felt lukewarm … her fever rose significantly in the night but settled an hour after the medicine." The next morning, Aabi, who was unvaccinated, seemed to be feeling better. But things quickly changed. "Around 11am, she started warming up again, complaining of a headache … I sat beside her, waiting for the fever to drop, but it kept climbing," her mother wrote. Panic set in when a thermometer recorded Aabi's temperature at 40.6 degrees Celsius, and the family rushed her to the hospital. "Upon reaching the hospital, Aabi vomited, remaining drowsy," her mother wrote. "By the time emergency medications, for suspected flu, sepsis, or meningitis, could be administered, she had a gentle seizure." The decision was made to transfer Aabi to the intensive care unit. "As soon as she reached the ICU, she had to be intubated. The CT scan wasn't fully indicative of the problem's [severity]; an MRI would be necessary," her mother wrote. "But from that moment, her pupils were non-responsive, and she was beyond anyone's help. "I believe we lost her at that point." Aabi's mother described the two-year-old as a healthy and active girl. "The radiant joy of our lives and the very heart of our home … talking endlessly, delighting in dancing, and singing along to music with her sister," her mother wrote. "We lost our beautiful Aabi at the hands of what seemed like a 'mere virus'. "Aabi was a blessing we had for too short a time. Our lives remain incomplete, and we wish no parent ever has to endure this ordeal." The Immunisation Foundation of Australia, which helped share Aabi's story, was started by Catherine Hughes, whose four-week-old child died from whooping cough in 2015. The charity advocates for the importance of immunisation, including for influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and whooping cough. The winter flu surge has led to spikes in hospital admissions due to influenza and other viruses. Data from the Australian Respiratory Surveillance report showed 180 people died from influenza between January and April — a 73 per cent increase from the same period last year — including two children under 16 years of age. Australian Medical Association president Dr Danielle McMullen said these figures, and the tragic case of Aabi's death, highlighted the importance of vaccines. "[It] should be a stark reminder to all of us that while the flu can sometimes be a mild illness, it can be life-threatening, and every year, we lose lives to the flu," she said. Across Australia, free flu vaccinations are available for children aged six months to five years old, adults 65 years old and older, all pregnant women, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Dr McMullen said she was aware of hospitals around the country that have had to delay planned surgeries due to a surge in hospitalisations from flu cases. "Every year, we see different strains of flu in our community and sometimes, they're more severe," she said. "There are some reports showing that this year, while we're seeing maybe not more cases of flu than we had last year, that we are seeing quite a number of hospitalisations." Dr McMullen said flu vaccination rates were still lagging behind pre-COVID figures. "We need to get back to really high vaccination rates to protect the most vulnerable in our community. It's never too late to vaccinate," she said.
