MOH’s clinical guidelines do not recommend AstraZeneca or Sinovac vaccines for pregnant women, while for Pfizer’s vaccine, pregnant women are encouraged to discuss with their doctor the risks and benefits of Covid-19 vaccination.
Side effects from the Pfizer and AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccines are more common among people below 55 and 65 years old respectively, says infectious disease expert Dr Low Lee Lee.
The second Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine dose for more than 4,000 frontliners in Perak will be delayed by 5 to 7 days from the original 21-day interval, but administering the second dose up to 28 days after the first is still within international guidance.
Khairy Jamaluddin says discussions are ongoing with private health care providers on how they can augment the national Covid-19 vaccination programme, including their logistical and storage capacity.
The European Union's initial export controls on Covid-19 vaccines -- including Pfizer and AstraZeneca shots -- are in effect from January 30 to March 31.
Vials filled with saline water were delivered at an ultra-cold temperature from Belgium to Amsterdam, Singapore, Subang, Kuching, and Bintulu, before a four-hour drive to Belaga, a remote village in Sarawak.