COULD Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin please consider giving Pfizer booster jabs to those who completed their AstraZeneca (AZ) vaccinations three months ago and not after six months? This is because the effectiveness of the AZ vaccine is reduced to approximately 60% towards the end of the six-month period compared to the initial 90% just after the second jab is received. A Pfizer booster dose brings the effectiveness back up to 90%. The United Kingdom, Europe, Australia, United States and Singapore are now giving Pfizer booster doses three months after the second AZ dose is received because of the outbreak of the Omicron variant. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends booster doses for all adults, and two studies mentioned in the article showed that booster doses reduced infection tenfold and Covid-19 deaths by 90%.

Source: The Star December 14, 2021 16:09 UTC