Health DG Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah says NPRA has approved off-label use for a Pfizer booster shot for senior citizens aged 60 years and above who received two Sinovac doses.
Sarawak minister Dr Sim Kui Hian claims the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA) approved heterologous Covid-19 vaccination, even though NPRA has not issued a statement authorising mix-and-match for boosters.
MMA hopes that all the GP clinics which had functioned as PPV GPs will be allowed to participate and not only a select few where the selection criteria was not made known to the GPs.
The elderly aged 60 and above, health care staff, and frontline workers who were vaccinated with Pfizer will be offered Pfizer boosters, pending an MOH study on heterologous vaccination starting November in Sarawak.
Sarawak is offering from today third doses to immunocompromised people at least 28 days after their second jab, whereas boosters will be given to the elderly aged 60 and above and frontline medical workers at least six months after their second dose.
Dr Adeeba Kamarulzaman is shocked that only 4% of Africa have been vaccinated against Covid-19 while other countries, including Malaysia, are planning booster shots.
Even with waning immunity, this doesn’t necessarily mean that the body’s capacity to respond to subsequent exposure of the Covid-19 virus is gone because we have immunologic memory of past infection or vaccines, say immunologists.
Health DG’s statement did not specify if the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency gave regulatory approval for heterologous vaccination with a Pfizer booster dose.
Khairy Jamaluddin also emphasises personal responsibility when travelling interstate, as it’s impossible to mount roadblocks to check for unvaccinated travellers.