KUALA LUMPUR: The Health Ministry has updated its regulations concerning second Covid-19 vaccine booster shots in a bid to prevent serious infections and death with waning immunity.
Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said all seniors aged 60 and above can receive a second Covid-19 vaccine booster dose voluntarily four to six months after their first booster jab.
The same, he said, applied to those between 18 and 59 with clinical risk of severe disease such as chronic heart, lung, kidney, and liver disease.
He said teenagers aged between 12 and 17 with clinical risk of severe disease could also be offered a first booster dose four to six months after receiving the primary dose injection.
However, he said apart from senior citizens, all other potential recipients should consult a registered medical practitioner first.
Khairy also stressed that the second booster was not mandatory, meaning that it would be done on a voluntary basis.
Previously, the second booster dose was only offered to those aged 60 and above who have chronic diseases. Other categories were those aged 18 and above who received China-made vaccines as primary doses but are travelling to countries which do not recognise these.
"Those who have received the two primary Covid-19 vaccine doses, followed by the booster dose are proven to have optimal protection from severe symptoms of the Covid-19 infection and death.
"Nonetheless, over a period of time, the immunity tends to wane, especially among those who are in these vulnerable groups.
"Studies have shown that the risk is still high for individuals in these groups to get severe infections, be hospitalised and can even die when they have health issues," said Khairy.
On the use of Paxlovid antiviral drugs to treat Covid-19 which started on April 15, he said so far 173 patients had been treated using Paxlovid and they had made full recoveries.
"Covid-19 patients who have taken the antiviral drugs do not display any side effects and so far Paxlovid is used at 512 Covid-19 assessment centres (CAC) in health clinics and 78 government hospitals."
Khairy also said the priority of Paxlovid treatment would be for high-risk Covid-19 patients with mild to moderate symptoms.
"The Covid-19 patient priority criteria is for those 18 years old and above, Covid-19 category 2 and 3 cases that do not require oxygen therapy, and the high-risk groups."
The high-risk groups are mainly patients with high blood pressure, diabetics, those with kidney problems, asthma, chronic lung patients, heart patients and suffer from cancer.
The medication should start within five days to reduce the risk of more severe infections.
"Covid-19 patients in these groups may need to go to the CAC at selected health clinics and hospitals to assess suitability before they can be treated with Paxlovid," said Khairy.