This article first appeared in The Edge Malaysia Weekly on September 6, 2021 - September 12, 2021

Malaysia is studying if it is necessary to give booster Covid-19 vaccine shots. An expert committee has been set up to assess the need for a third shot and is expected to give its recommendation by month-end, Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said at a briefing last week.

Khairy Jamaluddin said there has been no deaths linked to vaccination so far. He added that the ministry will release data on adverse events following immunisation (AEFI) soon.

Malaysia has yet to decide whether to go ahead with the Covid-19 vaccination exercise for children below 12 years old, said Khairy Jamaluddin.

“There has been no approval for paediatric vaccination yet in Malaysia or anywhere else. It’s still under review by regulatory agencies, whether it be Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or the National Health Regulatory Authority (NHRA).

“Once there is enough data to support that it is safe to give out to children, then we will take that to the vaccination committee for consideration and for us to decide,” he told a news conference on Sept 2.

CanSino and Sinovac vaccines will be used to step up vaccinations in six states that have yet to achieve a vaccination rate of 50% of their adult population.

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