PUTRAJAYA: The Covid-19 Vaccine Candidate Selection Committee (JKPCV) is evaluating the possibility of extending the time interval between two doses of the Covid-19 vaccine, as being mulled by Singapore.
National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (NIP) coordinating minister Khairy Jamaluddin said JKPCV, headed by Dr Kalaiarasu Peariasamy, is currently seeking feedback from vaccine manufacturers regarding the move.
He said the Covid-19 Immunisation Task Force (CITF) and the Special Committee on Covid-19 Vaccine Supply Access Guarantee (JKJAV) took note of Singapore and other countries' recommendations for the time interval between the two doses of Covid-19 vaccine in their vaccination programmes.
"As stated before, the time interval between two doses in Malaysia was determined through information and data sent by the vaccine manufacturers to the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA).
"As per the conditional approval given to all Covid-19 vaccines that are being used in Malaysia, vaccine manufacturers should send information when there is the latest data from the use of their vaccines," he said in a statement today.
Khairy said any decision regarding the matter will be informed from time to time.
Yesterday, it was reported that Singapore's Health Ministry was considering the possibility of spacing out the time between the two doses for the country's next phase of vaccination exercise.
The move was to allow more people to receive the first dose, following the current shortage of supply of the vaccine.
According to the news report, the decision was made based on many international studies that show that a single dose can provide good protection from Covid-19 without compromising the vaccine's effectiveness.
At present, the interval period between the two doses was three to four weeks. However, experts in Singapore and abroad were confident it could be extended by another six to eight weeks.
In Singapore, two doses of Pfizer vaccine were spaced 21 days apart, while for the Moderna vaccine the interval is spaced 28 days apart for two doses.