Booster shot: No mixing for Pfizer recipients, decision on AstraZeneca soon

The Health Ministry recommends the same type of vaccine as a booster shot for recipients of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine, also known as a homologous booster.

This is in contrast to the recipients of the Sinovac vaccine who will receive a heterologous booster - which refers to the mixing of different Covid-19 vaccine brands.

It was previously announced that Sinovac recipients will get Pfizer as a booster.

As for recipients of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine, a decision will be made soon.

This was announced by Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin.

The arrangement is as follows:

First and second dose: Pfizer

Third dose: Pfizer

Time gap between second and third dose: six months

First and second dose: Sinovac

Third dose: Pfizer

Time gap between second and third dose: three months

"Just to reassure everyone about the heterologous booster, I was a Sinovac recipient. Before I left for my World Health Organization meeting I had a Pfizer booster," Khairy said on Twitter.

Khairy added that for those who are allergic to the Covid-19 vaccine based on mRNA technology, then Sinovac or AstraZeneca will be considered for the booster shot.

Pfizer is the only Covid-19 vaccine in the country that uses mRNA technology.

The other is Moderna, which has been approved but is not part of the government's stock at present.

"A booster is not necessary for you to be considered fully vaccinated, for now. But highly recommended," he said.

On a separate issue, Khairy said the government's clinical trial on the use of ivermectin to treat Covid-19 is ready and the results will be presented to the public next week.

"The great debate locally on ivermectin will be settled soon. We did a local study on ivermectin and the results are in," he said. - Mkini