KUALA LUMPUR, March 30 — Individuals who will lose their fully vaccinated status on April 1 can still dine in and enter shopping malls, workplaces and places of worship, the Ministry of Health (MoH) said today.
Its minister Khairy Jamaluddin said this applies to two categories of individuals.
The first group are those who haven’t received a booster dose and are aged 60 and above.
The second group are Sinovac and Sinopham recipients aged 18 and above who refuse to take a booster shot by April 1.
“These groups can still dine-in at restaurants, frequent shopping malls, and enter the workplace and places of worship.
“As such the owners or operators of these premises must ensure that only customers and devotees who have completed their primer dose (second vaccination shot) are allowed in,” Khairy said in a statement today.
An individual categorised as a recipient of a primer dose is one who has taken two doses of the AstraZeneca, Pfizer or Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine and has passed the 14-day threshold from when the second dose was received.
For vaccines that need only one shot like Johnson & Johnson and CanSino, Khairy said those who have received this type of inoculation must pass the 14-day threshold.
As for overseas travellers, only those who have received the primer and booster doses (second and third doses) will be allowed to enter these premises.
“The announcement of these new SOPs does not mean Sinovac recipients aged 18 and above as well as those who have been vaccinated with any vaccine aged 60 do not need to get the booster shot,” Khairy emphasised.
Previously, Khairy said approximately two million Covid-19 vaccine recipients are set to lose their fully vaccinated status if they do not get a booster shot before April 1.
The majority comprised Sinovac recipients.
“Data shows that protection from Covid-19 drops by 20 per cent for Pfizer and 48 per cent for Sinovac between three to five months after receiving the primer dose.
“Taking a booster shot will increase your immunity and reduce the risk of getting serious infections from Covid-19,” he added.
