Immunocompromised kids, teens to be given third Covid-19 vaccine dose, says KJ

PETALING JAYA: Moderate or severely immunocompromised children and adolescents aged five to 17 will be given the third dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, says Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin.

He said children between five to 11 that had been certified as immunocompromised category by medical experts from both public and private sector are eligible to take the third dose eight weeks after their second dose.

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Those who are 12 to 17-years-old who are immunocompromised can get the third dose 28 days after their second dose.

Immunocompromised youth aged 12 to 17 are also eligible to get their first booster dose three months after their third dose.

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A second booster will also be offered to at-risk individuals aged between 18 to 59 years old and frontline health workers.

This will be given at least six months after receiving the first booster and after consultation with any registered medical practitioner, said Khairy.

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He also said that the CanSino vaccine will be used as a heterologous booster for all adults regardless of the type of primary dose vaccine.

Those who are eligible for the CanSino booster dose are individuals aged 18 years and older who have received a primary dose of the Covid-19 vaccine other than CanSino and Sinovac.

The CanSino booster will be given at least three months after receiving the second dose of the primary vaccine.

“Procedure or mechanism for the implementation of the administration of the third dose for children and adolescents, as well as the first booster dose for adolescents, will be finalised and notified in the near future,” he said.