KUALA LUMPUR, March 5 — The Ministry of Health (MOH) has prepared a list of priority groups for Covid-19 vaccination, ahead of the second phase of the national rollout targeting the elderly and people with comorbidities.
Health Minister Dr Adham Baba said the priority groups in MOH’s “Guidelines for Covid-19 Vaccination: Criteria to Consider Before Vaccination Using Comirnaty Vaccine (Pfizer-BioNTech)” updated March 2, as sighted by CodeBlue, are not listed according to the order of when they will get the vaccine. It is simply a list.
“The prepared guidelines are a reference for medical professionals in evaluating one’s suitability to receive the vaccine,” Dr Adham told CodeBlue yesterday.
“However, the numbers in the list are not the order of priority. It’s just a list; same priority.”
MOH guidelines state that individuals in the priority groups should consult their treating clinician before getting the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. These are the priority groups as follows:
MOH guidelines state that Covid-19 vaccination with the Pfizer-BioNTech shot should be deferred or postponed in these conditions:
MOH guidelines, which recommend the Pfizer-BioNTech jab for adults aged 18 and above, list three contraindications, or conditions when one should not take the vaccine:
The MOH guidelines also say everyone who gets a Covid-19 vaccine should be monitored on site. People who have history of allergy or who have had any type of immediate allergic reaction to a vaccine therapy should be monitored for at least 30 minutes after getting the vaccine.
All other people should be monitored for at least 15 minutes after getting the vaccine.
Vaccination providers should have appropriate medications and equipment such as epinephrine, antihistamines, stethoscopes, blood pressure cuffs, and timing devices and access to emergency trolley at all Covid-19 vaccination sites.
The government has scheduled the second phase of the national Covid-19 vaccination programme starting April, targeting 9.4 million people aged 60 years and above and those with underlying health conditions.
