AZ, Sinovac vaccines being reviewed for booster shots, says Health DG

PETALING JAYA: Other Covid-19 vaccines are undergoing a review process for use as a booster dose, says Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.

“AstraZeneca and Sinovac have submitted their dossiers and we are in the process of reviewing it.

"The next meeting by the Drug Control Authority will be on Nov 17. We need time to review the data. This will be under the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA),” the Health director-general told a press conference here on Friday (Nov 12).

Dr Noor Hisham said it is also possible for fully-vaccinated Sinovac recipients to receive the same vaccine as a booster dose.

However, he said at the moment, the NPRA has not yet approved Sinovac as a booster shot.

He said scientific studies conducted in Chile, Thailand and Turkey found that heterologous shots, such as Sinovac with Pfizer or AstraZenaca, have an efficacy rate of 90% that is higher compared with a homologous shot at 80%.

“We urged Malaysians who are given a booster shot appointment to come forward to get it,” he said.

Dr Noor Hisham assured the public that giving booster doses is in line with recommendations by the World Health Organisation (WHO) Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunisation (SAGE), especially to those who have low immunity, senior citizens aged above 60, and frontliners.

“The panel of medical experts from the ministry has examined the effectiveness as well as safety of booster doses from various sources and found that one booster dose is capable of increasing immunity levels against Covid-19.

“The groups given priority to receive additional doses as well as booster doses have been detailed in the Circular Letter of the Director-General of Health No. 17/2021 dated Oct 17. Now this group is in the phase of receiving booster doses,” he said.

He added that the ministry’s strategy is to extend booster doses to those above 18 with comorbidities, individuals above the age of 40, pregnant women, and frontliners apart from healthcare workers.