The Chularajamontri, or Thailand’s Islamic spiritual leader, has unofficially ruled that Muslims can receive measles vaccine, a spiritual leader in Yala said on Saturday.
Ahmad Abdull Hazima, an Islamic leader in Yala, said the Chularajamontri and 39 provincial Islamic committees have made unofficial rulings that vaccines are not prohibited by Islam.
The rulings were sought after an ongoing outbreak of measles in four southern border provinces have seen thousands overcome by the illness and 18 people have died. In Yala alone, 14 people died from the disease.
Ahmad said the Islamic leaders said that although vaccines have not been formally approved as being “haral” or allowed by the religion, they were not formally prohibited either.
The Islamic leaders considered that vaccines were necessary to keep Muslims healthy so that they could continue practising their religious activities. As a result, the spiritual leaders saw that the use of vaccines would not violate Islam.
