KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 24 — The government’s Covid-19 vaccination task force today expanded eligibility for booster jabs to all adults aged 18 and above from initial priority individuals aged 40 and older.
Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said in a statement that the Technical Working Group under the Covid-19 Immunisation Task Force Booster (CITF-B) has recommended that appointments for booster shots follow an age step down approach, with older people offered additional shots first.
Frontline workers, individuals with underlying health conditions, pregnant women, and those planning to travel overseas will also be prioritised for coronavirus vaccine booster doses.
The National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA) previously authorised the use of Pfizer-BioNTech, AstraZeneca-Oxford, and Sinovac vaccines as boosters for adults aged 18 and above.
Today, CITF-B released its recommendations on both homologous and heterologous, or mix-and-match, booster vaccination as follows:
Sinovac Recipients
Adults fully vaccinated with Sinovac across all age groups, three months after the second dose, are recommended to get a booster with Pfizer.
Those aged 50 and above also have the option of an AstraZeneca booster.
People who are unable to take a Pfizer or AstraZeneca booster may receive a third Sinovac dose.
Individuals who want a Sinovac booster may inform the PPV. However, the Technical Working Group still recommends a Pfizer or AstraZeneca booster unless there are contraindications.
AstraZeneca Recipients
Adults across age groups fully inoculated with AstraZeneca, six months after the second dose, are recommended to receive a booster of the same vaccine.
However, they can also opt for a Pfizer booster.
Pfizer, Moderna, CanSino, Sinopharm, Johnson & Johnson Recipients
Those fully vaccinated with Pfizer, Moderna, and CanSino are eligible for boosters six months from complete vaccination; for Sinopharm, it’s three months from the second dose; while for Johnson & Johnson, it’s two months from the first dose.
CanSino and Johnson & Johnson are single-shot vaccines.
Adults who were fully vaccinated with Pfizer, Moderna, CanSino, Sinopharm, or Johnson & Johnson, across all age groups, are recommended to get a Pfizer booster, or the option of an additional AstraZeneca shot for those aged 50 and above.
Appointments for booster shots will be offered on the MySejahtera app. Individuals can also register for walk-in booster jabs to replace no-shows at selected PPVs.
Update: This story was updated to clarify that Pfizer is the main booster recommended for adults across all age groups, except for homologous AstraZeneca booster vaccination. Adults aged 50 and older have the option of an AstraZeneca booster.