KUALA LUMPUR: Those above 60 years old with high comorbidities can choose to get a second dose of the Covid-19 vaccine booster.
Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin, however, stressed that the fourth round of vaccination is not compulsory and optional to this group of people.
"I want to stress here that this (second Covid-19 booster jab) is not compulsory.
"This is an option given to them unlike the inoculation exercise under the Covid-19 National Immunisation Programme (NIP)," he said in a press conference today.
Present was Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.
Khairy said the decision to roll out the administration of the second booster shot was made after the Technical Working Group looked into the scientific studies as well as studies carried out by the Malaysia cohort on those aged 60 and above with lung disease, heart disease, kidney illness, liver disease and diabetics who have high risk of developing severe symptoms or dying due to Covid-19.
He said the decision on the rolling out of the second booster shot was also made after looking into the experience of other countries battling the spread of Covid-19, especially with the prevalence of highly-contagious variants.
The vaccine that will be used for the implementation of the second booster shot is the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine.
"There are 5.6 million Pfizer vaccines available in our stock. We believe this is enough since the implementation of the second booster shot is not compulsory and that it only involves two groups of people," he said.
On the implementation of the second booster jab, Khairy said those aged 60 and above with high comorbidity may do so four to six months after receiving their first booster shot.
"In the event the senior citizen who has completed their primary vaccination and booster jab contracts Covid-19, they may apply for the second booster injection three months after recovering from the virus," he said.
Khairy also announced that people aged 12 and above who are moderately or severely immunocompromised may get their booster shot at least 28 days after receiving their second vaccine jab.
"Again, we leave it to the individual to discuss with their parents and their respective clinicians in making their decision to get the booster jab," he said.
Khairy also stressed that the implementation of the fourth vaccination for senior citizen with high comorbidities and third vaccination for those aged 12 and above who are immunocompromised will not affect their vaccination status if they choose not to do so.