Malaysia urgently needs to roll out new Covid-19 vaccine booster programme to curb spread of latest variants, says former MP

KUCHING (Dec 18): Malaysia urgently needs to roll out new Covid-19 vaccine booster programme to curb the spread of the latest variants, said former Stampin MP Julian Tan.

Tan, who is now a researcher and consultant at a private university, said this is to address the waning effectiveness of previous vaccines and the recent surge in cases.

He pointed out the last booster shot programme in the country was back in 2022, and since then, vaccine effectiveness against infection “has considerably waned after five to eights months”.

According to him, Malaysia has missed two significant vaccination cycles unlike Singapore, which has been consistently combating the latest Covid-19 variants through an ongoing vaccination programme.

“These cycles were aimed at addressing the Omicron variant and its subvariant, XBB. Presently, Singapore faces a surge in Covid-19 cases attributed to variants EG.5 and HK.3, descendants of the XBB Omicron variant.

“Without immediate action, Malaysia, having missed these crucial vaccination opportunities, might confront a similar or potentially worse scenario,” he said in a statement today.

He also said children below five years old, who completed their primary vaccination series, should receive an extra dose after turning five years old and having had their last dose at least five months ago.

“Presently, in Malaysia, children between 5-11 years old have only completed their primary vaccination series and haven’t received booster shots,” he added.

While advocating for mask-wearing and the utilisation of the MySejahtera app, Tan said it is essential to recognise that these measures might not suffice, especially considering the current behaviours observed in crowded settings.

“Scientifically, vaccination stands as the only proven method to combat the current situation against the latest Covid-19 variants. The government should at least make the latest vaccine available to those who are willing to pay for it if cost is a major concern.

“Alternatively, the government could consider subsidising the vaccine to ensure the safety and well-being of its citizens,” he said.