Covid-19: Senior citizens, high-risk individuals encouraged to get second booster shots, says Khairy

PETALING JAYA: A total of 107,844 individuals aged 12 years old and above have received their second Covid-19 booster jabs as of Monday (June 20), says the Health Ministry (MOH).

Its Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said, on Tuesday (June 21), that 57,834 out of the total were individuals aged 60 and above.

“We would encourage senior citizens and individuals with chronic conditions to get the second booster.

“As of Tuesday, we did not receive any reports of severe side-effects following the second booster shots,” he told a media conference.

Khairy added that Covid-19 cases would fluctuate and a potential new infection wave might emerge in the next few months, despite the current situation being under control.

“Maybe within the next two to three months, we are expecting a new wave but the magnitude is still unknown.

“Based on the epidemiological developments in other countries, the new wave could possibly be ahead,” he said, encouraging high-risk individuals to be inoculated with the fourth Covid-19 vaccine shot.

Khairy was speaking to the media after launching the MOH Hospital Directors Conference at Eastin Hotel, Petaling Jaya in Selangor.

Commenting on the rebooted immunisation programme for kids (PICKids), the Minister said that the decision was taken as the Ministry found that there were a number of children who did not receive information on the previous immunisation programme.

“As PICKids was announced to be ending for those children above five years old, MOH realises that there are pockets of the population that have not received information on Covid-19 vaccines and those who had second thoughts after May 31.

“MOH is now helping these populations gain access to Covid-19 vaccinations at its health clinics,” he said.

Khairy said that a total of 397 kids were inoculated on the first day of the five-day campaign, with 150 of the children having just turned five years old.

On Sunday (June 19), Deputy Health Minister Datuk Dr Noor Azmi Ghazali announced PICKids will reopen from yesterday until Friday (June 24), in conjunction with the 2022 National Immunisation Week.