KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 7 — ProtectHealth Corporation today clarified that Sinovac boosters offered free under the government’s Covid-19 vaccination programme are only open to those who cannot take other vaccines.
The Ministry of Health-owned company said all coronavirus vaccines are offered to the public free of charge under the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (PICK), including Sinovac’s inactivated vaccine, at vaccination centres in private health facilities and off-site PPVs.
“The availability of the Sinovac vaccine is limited and is offered to those who are allergic to Covid-19 vaccines other than the Sinovac vaccine as certified by a qualified medical practitioner,” ProtectHealth said in a statement, referring to the public vaccination programme.
“The Ministry of Health (MOH) has recommended the Covid-19 vaccine produced by Pfizer-BioNTech and AstraZeneca for the administration of the booster dose which provides better protection (better efficacy).”
ProtectHealth clarified that several private health facilities, which administer Covid-19 vaccine boosters under PICK, are also separately offering Sinovac in the private vaccine rollout.
“This private selling of Sinovac is not under the government programme, outside of PICK and is not supervised by ProtectHealth,” said ProtectHealth.
“Those who are taking the Sinovac vaccine as the booster are advised to request the private health facility in advance if the facility offers the Sinovac vaccine through PICK.
“Private health facilities that administer the Sinovac vaccine through PICK and the private purchase vaccine programme must offer the free Sinovac vaccine under PICK before offering the Sinovac through the private purchase vaccine programme to vaccinee.”
The government has yet to set a price ceiling for Sinovac vaccines provided in the private market.
As of yesterday, private health facilities and off-site PPVs have administered over 1.91 million Covid-19 booster doses under PICK, or 63 per cent of more than three million doses administered overall in the government inoculation programme.
