CITIZENS above the age of 60 with comorbidities can now take a second Covid-19 booster shot, Khairy Jamaluddin said today. 

The health minister said the second booster  is not compulsory. 

“The decision was made after the technical working group (TWG) panel reviewed scientific studies as well as Malaysian cohort studies showing individuals aged 60 and above with comorbidities such as lung, heart, kidney and liver disease as well as diabetes are at high risk of getting serious symptoms and death caused by Covid-19,” Khairy said at a press conference in Parliament today.

“Those in this age group with comorbidities can take their second booster at least four to six months after their first booster. This is not compulsory.

“Those above 60 and are healthy can also opt for their second booster, but they will have to talk with a medical practitioner first.

“If the medical practitioner advises that the benefit outweighs risks, they also can take their fourth dose.”

Khairy said individuals between the age of 12 and 17, who are moderately or severely immunocompromised, can now take their first booster dose. 

He said even this will not be made compulsory, adding that the individuals or parents can discuss with their doctors before taking their booster shot. 

He said high-risk elderly individuals will not lose their vaccination status if they do not take their second booster. 

He said the ministry has received applications for second booster doses for those who wish to fulfil European vaccine mandates.

He said the requests are made as not all countries in the continent recognise Sinovac and Sinopharm vaccines.

“So individuals wishing to go abroad can be given a second booster dose after an interval of at least one month from the first booster to meet the vaccine criterion of certain countries,” he said. 

The European Union (EU) currently permits entry to international visitors who are fully inoculated with vaccines approved by the European Medicines Agency, namely Pfizer-BioNTech, Novavax, Moderna, AstraZeneca-Oxford and Johnson & Johnson.

Currently, Sinovac is recognised in 10 EU countries while Sinopharm is not recognised in 11 EU countries. 

Among the countries that do not recognise Sinovac and Sinopharm vaccines are Bulgaria, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta and Romania. 

Poland is only other country that recognises Sinovac but not Sinopharm. – April 14, 2022.