COVID-19 vaccination for teenagers can be expanded to states that achieved herd immunity - Adham

KOTA BHARU: The COVID-19 vaccine injection for teenagers can be extended to states that have achieved the herd immunity, said Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba.

He said the focus now was to ensure all the adult population in the country had completed the vaccination. under the National COVID-19 Immunisation Programme (PICK).

"Our stance at JKJAV (COVID-19 Vaccine Supply Access Guarantee Special Committee (JKJAV) is that the injection for teenagers will be done after we are done with PICK, where we need to achieve the herd immunity among the adult population.

"But there are certain states that we can expedite because there is a need," he told reporters after a working visit to Universiti Malaysia Kelantan (UMK) Pengkalan Chepa, here today. Also present was his deputy, Datuk Ahmad Amzad Hashim.

Dr Adham said the COVID-19 jab using the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for teenagers was made based on safe, effective and quality clinical data.

"We focus on teenagers starting with aged 16 and 17 and those with comorbidities," he said.

Asked on the booster dose, Dr Adham said the matter was being looked into by him and Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin, who is co-chairman of JKJAV.

On the country developing its own vaccine, he said the ministry was preparing a 'route map' and gathering local and foreign scientists for the purpose.

-- BERNAMA