Malaysia: Khairy: Early Oct 21 target for third dose of Covid-19 vaccine

• The government has set an early-Oct 21 target to roll out a third dose of Covid-19 vaccine booster shots for vulnerable groups, according to Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin.
• Khairy said the groups identified include the elderly with co-morbidities, frontliners in high-risk situations, those with low immunity, as well as residents and staff of senior citizen homes.
• “After that, we will open (the third dose) to other groups. (For) these (identified) groups maybe we will be able to administer the vaccines in early-Oct 21,” Khairy said.
• Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob earlier announced that the government will provide a third dose of the Covid-19 vaccine once the immunisation coverage of the country’s adult population exceeds 80%.
• Beyond the vulnerable groups, Khairy said no decision has been made whether a booster shot will be required for everyone as the matter is still being studied by experts.
• On the type of vaccines to be administered, Khairy said all vaccine producers have been requested to submit information about their third dose to the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA) for approval.
• “I expect the approvals can be granted in a week or two and after that, I will make further announcements on the vaccine types, whether it can be mixed and matched. All that I will announce later,” he said.

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