KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 3): The Ministry of Health will conduct a more aggressive campaign to ensure those who are eligible to receive the Covid-19 vaccine immediately complete their doses. 

Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said this may also entail working together with non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and other agencies to ensure that vaccines are given to those who have not yet received them.

“We will work with them to ensure that those like the foreign workers who... have not been vaccinated [will receive their doses]. This also includes our people where some have yet to be vaccinated.

“As such, we will do a more aggressive campaign first to make it easier for them to get the first and second dose of vaccinations,” he said at a press conference on Friday (Dec 3). 

Khairy noted MoH would also intensify the campaign on the administration of booster doses, through the increase in capacity as announced a few days ago.

“And [we will] also [carry out] awareness campaigns to make sure the people know how important it is to get their booster dose.

“Next week, we will also discuss and if there is a need, maybe I will make an announcement in terms of full vaccination status. 

“Maybe for certain groups, the full vaccination status may require a booster dose, but [there is] no decision yet. We are still talking and by next week, [hopefully] we will have an announcement on that,” he added. 

Khairy also said the MoH targets at least 75% of individuals who have completed their Covid-19 vaccination in the country, to receive a booster dose.

On Wednesday (Dec 1), Khairy said Malaysia will accelerate the rollout of Covid-19 vaccine booster doses to 150,000 per day, from 120,000, due to the emergence of the Omicron variant, which will then be gradually increased until it reaches 200,000 per day.

The rollout of the Covid 19 booster shot in Malaysia currently prioritises people aged 40 years and above, people aged 18 years and above with concomitant diseases, employees and residents of long-term care facilities, pregnant women and people who need the booster shot to travel abroad.

The country is using the Pfizer, AstraZeneca and Sinovac vaccines for the booster shot.

Currently, Malaysia deems a person as fully vaccinated at least 14 days after they have received their second shot of a two-dose Covid-19 regimen — namely those from AstraZeneca, Moderna, Pfizer, Sinovac, or Sinopharm — or at least 28 days after receiving a single-dose vaccine from Cansino or Johnson & Johnson.