COVID-19 booster shots are only for high-risk groups at this juncture, Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said today.

“We are only encouraging those who are at high risk to be given booster shots.

“If we look at other countries, this is the norm, where only senior citizens and those with serious comorbidities are given booster shots,” he said in a press conference after meeting with the Sarawak government in Kuching today.

Khairy said other countries have yet to give booster shots to their general populations. 

The government will also come up with guidelines for booster shots, he said.

“We are not ruling out the possibility that those who are healthy and aged below 65 would be given booster shots later. But our focus right now is on the high-risk groups.

“Right now, we need to protect the most vulnerable in our society.”

Khairy said most cases of death and patients in intensive care cases are people who are elderly or have pre-existing health conditions.

“There is no point using our resources on those who may not need it right now. So we focus on those who need it now,” he said.

Sarawak will administer booster shots for high-risk groups beginning next month when the government has finalised the clinical guidelines.

“Sarawak will be one of the first states to start the booster programme because it was one of the first states to complete the vaccination exercise,” he said.

Sarawak has fully inoculated 64.9% of its population. It was the first state to roll out vaccination . – September 26, 2021.