MALAYSIA is studying data on the efficacy of vaccines against new variants of Covid-19, said Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation Khairy Jamaluddin.

“We are studying real world data on vaccine efficacy v new variants.

“Our contract with Pfizer, for instance, stipulates that we will get updated vaccines if they start producing them to counter new variants,” he tweeted earlier today in reply to a post on whether updated vaccine boosters will have to be administered in case the previously administered jabs became ineffective against the virus.

Health authorities recently reported that two variants – the South African B.1.351 and the UK B. 1.1.1.7 – have made it to Malaysia.

To date, five UK and 17 South African variant cases have been reported in Malaysia.

A number of studies have said the latter has the ability to evade antibodies from vaccine serums, thus making vaccines less effective. – April 17, 2021.