Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced that from next month the country will offer a third dose or booster shots of the Covid-19 vaccines to those in the high-risk groups including healthcare frontliners and the elderly who have co-morbidities.

Dispensing with the booster shots will begin once the Covid-19 mass immunisation covers at least 80 percent of the adult population in the country. This is a target that is expected to be achieved by the end of this month.

The third dose can increase the level of immunity in individuals who are at high risk of getting infected with Covid-19 as the immunity might wane after a certain period following the second dose.

According to Health Minister, Khairy Jamaluddin a panel of healthcare and medical experts were currently developing guidelines on the implementation of the booster shot program.

The Health Minister assured the public that the booster jabs did not mean that their first two doses were ineffective and that many other countries were also implementing a similar policy.

He said that the initiative was crucial as the Health Ministry’s data indicated that those in the high-risk group made up most of the deaths as well as those admitted to hospitals as Category 5 patients.

-THE MALAYSIA VOICE