KUCHING: Sarawak will be administering Covid-19 booster doses to all eligible recipients, starting today.
Sarawak deputy health director (Public Health) Dr Rosemawati Ariffin said currently, the booster doses were prioritised for those with weakened immune systems as a result of disease or medical treatment, estimated at 11,900 people.
"Besides, senior citizens aged above 60-years-old, with an estimated 80,300 people and 30,340 medical officers and frontliners, will be given the doses as well," she said in a statement today.
She said the administration of the third dose or booster dose of Covid-19 vaccine will be done at selected government health clinics, private hospitals and private clinics.
Dr Rosemawati said a list of clinics will be published through the media and social media platforms, to allow eligible recipients to contact the clinics to make an appointment.
She said the administration of the additional dose does not mean the vaccine given previously does not provide the protective effect desired, on the contrary, the effort will provide additional protection to vulnerable groups.
"There are people who have problems with the immune system where two doses alone are not enough to give them protection or stimulate the immune system to fight the Covid-19 infection. So, they need the third dose," she explained.
"Meanwhile, the additional dose also acts as a booster for a person who has a sufficient immune response to the primary vaccine series but may become less over time (waning vaccine effectiveness)."
Dr Rosemawati said it is hoped that by giving the third dose and booster dose, especially to high -risk groups it will help bring Sarawak in particular, and Malaysia in general, out of this pandemic crisis into the endemic phase.
Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin previously said Sarawak was selected to be the first state to start the booster dose programme because it was the pioneer to complete the vaccination programme.
To date, Sarawak has completed vaccinating 90 per cent of the eligible adult population while 75 per cent of those aged between 12 and 17 had completed their first dose.