THE Malaysian Health Coalition (MHC) has cautiously welcomed the Government’s in-principle decision to provide booster doses for selected high-risk groups in Malaysia beginning early October 2021.
“We also welcome the decision to provide COVID-19 Care Packages (PPC) to the B40 group, and hope that these two decisions will help transition Malaysia to an endemic COVID-19,” the coalition said in a statement.
The MHC further urge the following:
A targeted booster strategy guided by transparency and published data
Globally, we are still developing the long-term vaccination strategies for an endemic of COVID-19.
While there is some real-world data that shows booster efficacy in those aged below 60 years and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved boosters in targeted groups, a commentary in The Lancet advocates for caution while the World Health Organisation (WHO) stated that “evidence remains limited and inconclusive on any widespread need for booster doses”.
“We call on the Health Ministry (MOH) to release Malaysian data to show increasingly poor outcomes for high-risk groups that will receive boosters, such as increased cases, hospitalisations or deaths, to justify boosters in these groups,” said MHC.
“This data can be stratified by age, type of vaccine and time since completed vaccinations, and can guide our targeted booster strategy.”
Focus equally on vaccinations in states with low vaccination rates
Several states have low vaccination rates, and equal focus must be given to those states.
MHC noted that as of Sept 20, 2021, only 54% of the adult population in Sabah have been fully vaccinated while 107% of adults in the Klang Valley are fully vaccinated.
“MOH data further indicated that those who are unvaccinated or partially vaccinated have higher intensive care unit (ICU) admission rates, and therefore, we must increase our efforts to increase vaccinations in states with low vaccination rates and prioritise a vaccination rate of 90% for all states in the primary vaccination series.
“Focusing on less-vaccinated states is important for equity, and no state should be left behind,” said the coalition.
Publish transparent data on vaccine supplies
MHC also called on the MOH and the Special Committee On COVID-19 Vaccine Supply (JKJAV) to release granular fata on current vaccine supplies and projected delivery schedules.
This information will prove that Malaysia has enough supplies for boosters beyond mere verbal reassurances, added the coalition.
In the scenario of inadequate vaccine supplies, MHC further proposed an equal emphasis on completing the primary vaccination series nationally, including for those aged 12-17 years old and non-citizens.
“Boosters are likely to be inevitable in an endemic of COVID-19, and this is why we cautiously welcome the decision to provide boosters.
“We urge the Government to provide the data to justify boosters, equally prioritize primary vaccination series in less-vaccinated states and publish data on vaccine supplies.” – Sept 22, 2021
