KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia will see the first use of a mix-and-match Covid-19 (heterologous) vaccination tomorrow.
Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said in a press conference that individuals fully inoculated with the Sinovac jabs for at least three months will receive Pfizer-BioNTech booster shots.
“For starters, these heterologous booster shots will be given to individuals above the age of 60.
“These heterologous booster shots will be administered off-label and will be part of the subgroup study under the Real World Evaluation of Covid-19 Vaccination.”
He assured that the booster doses will be given free on a voluntary basis under the National Covid-19 Vaccination Programme.
The booster shots for Sinovac recipients will begin in phases starting tomorrow nationwide.
It is understood that the new booster dose policy by the Health Ministry is due to the upward trend in hospitalisation after the resumption of interstate travel.
“The appointment mechanism for the booster dose will be improved from time to time. Soon, vaccine recipients can make appointments based on a system being developed by the Health Ministry.”
Those eligible will be informed through the MySejahtera app and via SMS to registered phone numbers for individuals without the application.
“We at the Health Ministry take into account a few leading indicators. Leading indicators in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur show a hospitalisation trend that is worrying.
“Surely the Health Ministry wants the number of serious cases to be reduced. So if there's a rise, we will look into it and come up with actions.”
As of October 19, the government has administered Pfizer-BioNTech booster doses to 47,728 individuals in the last six months.
In a statement, Khairy said priority for the booster shots were given to healthcare and security frontliners, senior citizens aged 60 and above, as well as individuals suffering from comorbidities.
“The Health Ministry encourages everyone eligible for the booster dose to take it as this will grant optimum protection against Covid-19 infections. The booster dose, using the Comirnaty (Pfizer-BioNTech) vaccine, has been implemented since October 13.” – The Vibes, October 21, 2021
