Mix-and-match of two COVID-19 vaccines still being studied - Khairy

KUALA NERUS, June 17 -- The government is still studying and considering the mix-and-match method of Pfizer-BioNTech and AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines to complete the two-dose vaccination.

National COVID-19 Immunisation Programme Co-ordinating Minister, Khairy Jamaluddin said the issue had already been tabled at the COVID-19 Vaccine Supply Access Guarantee Special Committee (JKJAV) two weeks ago but  to date, the decision on the mixing vaccines has not been finalised.

“The mixing of vaccine doses is still under study and we tabled it at JKJAV last week but it has not been finalised by our technical committee,” he said.

He told reporters after visiting the vaccination centre (PPV) at Gong Badak Indoor Stadium at the State Sports Complex here, today.

Khairy, in a webinar session hosted by the Oxford and Cambridge Society of Malaysia yesterday, was reported as saying that there were several real-world data received from Germany on heterological vaccinations using AstraZeneca as the first dose and Pfizer as the second dose which was proven to boost the neutralisation of antibodies and became more effective against variants.

In another development, Khairy, who is also Science, Technology and Innovation Minister, said Terengganu would receive over 200,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine from next month which would simultaneously enable the rate of vaccination in the state to reach 12,000 doses a day.

“We will definitely increase the delivery of vaccines to Terengganu especially from July. We will discuss after this but we are expecting to send more than 200,000 doses,” he said. 

Prior to this, State Health Department director, Dr Nor Azimi Yunus said 5,380 COVID-19 shots were dispensed daily to the people of Terengganu via 14 PPVs statewide currently.

Meanwhile, Khairy said discussions were being held on sending the Mobile Outreach team to vaccinate residents on Pulau Redang and Pulau Perhentian.

Also present during the visit were Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar, Science, Technology and Innovation Deputy Minister Datuk Ahmad Amzad Hashim, state executive councillor, Dr Alias Razak and Dr Nor Azimi.

-- BERNAMA