All fake Covid-19 vaccine certs so far come from the private-purchase programme that sells Sinovac and Sinopharm, indicating most of the forged certs are likely for booster shots.
The ceiling retail prices of RM77 and RM61 per dose for Sinovac and Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccines respectively exclude charges for services and disposable equipment in private health care facilities.
Health DG Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah cites Thai, Chile, and Turkey data that show higher efficacy from heterologous booster vaccination than three Sinovac doses, adding that Sinovac boosters have yet to be approved by NPRA.
SAGE recommends a third dose of the same Sinovac or Sinopharm vaccine as part of the primary series of Covid-19 vaccination for the elderly, but another vaccine type can be used if supplies are limited.
Bamboo product manufacturer Kanger International Berhad, whose chairman is Johor Umno deputy chief Nur Jazlan Mohamed, has signed a three-year licence agreement with China’s Sinopharm for its Covid-19 candidate vaccine.