KUALA LUMPUR: The Health Ministry is awaiting data on cases of myocarditis and pericarditis or heart inflammation before making a decision on whether it will allow adolescents, including Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) candidates, to receive the Covid-19 vaccine.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba said that, at the moment, only Sijil Tinggi Pelajaran Malaysia (STPM) candidates aged 18 and above would be receiving the vaccination.
"Adolescents are those aged 12 to 17 years old while Form 6 students are already 18-years-old. We have decided to administer the jabs to those due to sit for their STPM.
"But as per the data gathered so far, we have not given (the vaccine) yet to the adolescent category as we are still waiting for more data on the incidence of rare cases of myocarditis and pericarditis.
"We can only make a decision on adolescents once that is completed. The Special Committee on Covid-19 Vaccine Supply Access Guarantee (JKJAV) will notify from time to time."
Dr Adham was speaking at a joint press conference with Covid-19 National Immunisation Programme (NIP) coordinating minister Khairy Jamaluddin.
Last month, Khairy said the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA) had approved the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for use in children aged 12 years and above.
However, he said the JKJAV had yet to make any decision on its usage for this age group, following concerns over possible side effects and adverse reactions.
The European Medicines Agency, US Food and Drug Administration and the US Centres for Disease Control have expanded the emergency use authorisation for Pfizer-BioNTech's Comirnaty vaccine to adolescents aged between 12 and 15.
In March, Pfizer said initial results from trials of its vaccine in this age group showed 100 per cent efficacy and a strong immune response.
Among the countries that have approved the vaccine for this age group are Canada, Singapore, United Kingdom, Italy and Hong Kong. Comirnaty, a messenger RNA vaccine, has already been approved for use in people aged 16 and over.