Sinovac recipients can now choose same brand as their booster - KJ

 

COVID-19 | All Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine recipients are now allowed to choose the same brand as their booster shot, according to Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin, saying that the decision was made to address hesitancy against the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines.

Speaking at a press conference today, the minister also announced that all Sinovac recipients and senior citizens (regardless the type of vaccine they received as primary doses) are required to take booster shots or risk losing their fully immunised status.

They will have to do so by March 1.

"I want to announce today that there are 3.5 million vaccine recipients who had Sinovac as their primary doses (dose 1 and 2) who have yet to get their booster shot.

"This is a huge number and all of them are vulnerable to the Omicron wave because Sinovac's effectiveness is not as good as Pfizer’s.

"That is why we have made a decision to allow Sinovac recipients to also choose Sinovac for booster. Although the Health Ministry still encourages them to get Pfizer or AstraZeneca.

"Because any booster is better than no booster at all," Khairy said.

The ministry then used an analogy of a coat versus a t-shirt, likening Sinovac as wearing a t-shirt during winter when MOH wants to provide them with a coat.

"MOH is offering to give a coat but they still want a t-shirt, then it's okay. At least they wear a t-shirt rather than nothing at all."

During the presser, Khairy also reminded all recipients of the Sinovac vaccine for their primary doses and senior citizens to get their booster jab before March 1.

If they fail to do so by the deadline, the recipients would see their fully vaccinated status on MySejahtera application changed to incomplete.

"By March 1, those who failed to get a booster will see their yellow vaccination certificate (on MySejahtera) changed to white.

"They have to get booster doses to keep their fully vaccinated status. Regardless what type of vaccine they take (for booster)," he said.

Khairy told the presser that daily data collected by MOH showed that those who have not received vaccination against Covid-19 are facing risk of infection nine times higher than those who have completed their vaccination.

The risk is even higher should an unvaccinated individual get infected with Covid-19.

"The unvaccinated face risk of dying (from Covid-19) 62 times higher compared to those who have completed their Covid-19 immunisation or boosted," he said.

Khairy also urged senior citizens to get their booster dose as soon as possible.

To date, he added, around 1 million senior citizens have yet to get their booster shot nationwide.

According to the minister, while Omicron is expected to be less serious than its predecessor Delta variant, senior citizens still face high risk due to their age.

MOH statistics show that from a total of 32,034 deaths related to Covid-19 as of Feb 6, 57.32 percent of the cases (18,362) involved senior citizens. - Mkini