1.9% second booster uptake too low for population: Health DG

KUALA LUMPUR – Take-up for the second Covid-19 booster shot is still low in Malaysia, Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said, with only 1.9% of the total population having received it.

He tweeted the figure today, also stating that 49.8% of the population had the first booster dose.

“Vaccine coverage for the second booster shot is very low, at 1.9%. To improve our immunity, please get the booster dose,” the health official tweeted.

Untuk makluman semua terkini liputan vaksinasi Covid-19 bagi populasi Malaysia untuk dos penggalak pertama hanya 49.8% dan dos penggalak kedua pula amat rendah iaitu 1.9%. Untuk kita tingkatkan pertahanan immunity badan, sila dapatkan dos penggalak.

— Noor Hisham Abdullah (@DGHisham) December 29, 2022

This figure translates to just 626,896 people nationwide who have the second booster, according to the Health Ministry’s KKMNow data website.

The 49.8% who have had the first booster shot translates to 16,278,036 people. Malaysia has a population of more than 32.7 million. Over 84% have had two shots of the Covid-19 vaccine.

Noor Hisham earlier today urged the public – especially frontliners and those in the high-risk group – to get their booster shots in anticipation of an influx of travellers from China.

This follows Beijing’s move on Monday to end its zero-Covid-19 policy and to allow citizens to travel from January after nearly three years of Covid-19 lockdowns.

With borders reopening next month, Chinese nationals have rushed to make overseas travel bookings, various news media have reported.

Chinese communities throughout the world are set to celebrate the Lunar New Year between January 21 to 27.

However, certain countries such as Japan have responded with immediate restrictions on flights from China – they are to land at selected airports only – while requiring Covid-19 testing upon arrival.

The US and Italy also announced mandatory Covid-19 testing on travellers from China.

It was reported yesterday that almost half of the passengers on two flights to Milan, Italy, were found to have the virus. – The Vibes, December 29, 2022