Vaccines For Kids Under 12 Still Being Studied, Remains Undecided
Pediatric vaccination is still being studied by the US-FDA and NHRA.
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Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin held a press conference yesterday, 1 September, along with the Ministry of Health (MOH) to update the public on matters relating to Covid-19, vaccination programmes, and other matters under MOH jurisdiction.
Among the talking points of the press conference was vaccination of kids.
According to Khairy, Malaysia has yet to make a decision on the vaccination of kids
There is no approval for pediatric vaccination in Malaysia, or anywhere else at this point. It is still being studied by the relevant authorities, be it the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the US, or the National Health Regulatory Authority (NHRA). As soon as we have enough data to show that pediatric vaccination is safe, we will take it to the vaccine committee for consideration, and only then will a decision be made.
Minister of Health Khairy Jamaluddin
He added that vaccine manufacturer Pfizer-BioNTech is in the process of manufacturing a specialised pediatric vaccine which will contain lower doses compared to the adult vaccine.
Unvaccinated kids will be safe if adults are vaccinated
Khairy said with the absence of vaccines for kids, the best option at hand is to vaccinate the adults at schools, including teachers, school staff and even canteen staff.
MOH is also considering making the vaccine mandatory in order to manage antivax related issues.
“I have not yet reached the point where I recommend all Cabinet members get the vaccine,” he said, as the Government has not yet declared the vaccine mandatory.
Those who reject the vaccine must do self-tests
A new ruling may be put into action soon specifically for those who reject the vaccine for non-medical reasons.
Khairy said those individuals must perform scheduled self-tests to ensure they are not infected with the virus.
As soon as we enter the endemic phase, whether vaccinated or not, you will have to perform self-tests frequently. For those who reject the vaccine, they must follow a schedule for self-testing, possibly using a rapid test, and if found positive, to be confirmed using a PCR test.
Minister of Health Khairy Jamaluddin
Khairy also mentioned that the Government in a Cabinet meeting has decided to fix a ceiling on the price of Covid-19 self-tests.
An announcement on the matter is expected to be made soon by Minister of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi.
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