KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has recorded two Covid-19 deaths this year, both involving patients with serious comorbidities and no record of having received booster vaccinations, Datuk Lukanisman Awang Sauni told Parliament.
The Deputy Health Minister said while the deaths were confirmed, no specific timeline was disclosed.
“Regarding the two deaths, I do not have data on whether the patients had received the primary vaccine series or not.
“However, the cause of death was linked to high comorbidity levels. Both patients did not take additional booster shots - that we can confirm,” he said on Thursday (Aug 21), responding to a supplementary question from Datuk Dr Ahmad Yunus Hairi (PN-Kuala Langat) on the vaccination status of the deceased patients.
The two fatalities marked a sharp decline compared with 58 deaths reported in 2024, he added.
As of the 33rd epidemiological week ending Aug 16, he said Malaysia reported 41,814 Covid-19 cases this year, nearly half the 83,018 infections logged in the same period last year. Most of the cases were categorised as mild.
Malaysia, in line with global trends, experienced a rise in cases beginning April 6, attributed to the spread of new subvariants, Lukanisman said.
“However, the majority of cases have been mild and existing vaccines remain effective in protecting against the subvariants,” he added.
The deputy minister stressed that the overall threat posed by current variants to high-risk groups remained low and under control, as the country has entered the endemic phase of “living with Covid-19”, treating it alongside other respiratory infections such as influenza.
Nevertheless, he warned that complications could still occur, particularly among the elderly and those with chronic illnesses.
“The Health Ministry continues to monitor the situation in Malaysia and abroad, including through genomic sequencing to detect the emergence of any new variants or subvariants that could threaten public health,” he said.
