KUALA LUMPUR: Some two million people who received the Covid-19 Sinovac vaccine for their primary vaccination are expected to lose their "fully-vaccinated" status if they do not get their booster shot by March 31.
Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said this was the projection made by the ministry on the administration of Covid-19 booster jabs over the next one week.
"Based on available data and projection, two million people who received the Sinovac vaccine as their primary vaccination will lose their fully-vaccinated status (if they do not get their booster jab based on the deadline fixed by the ministry) on April 1," he told reporters in Parliament here today.
Khairy said, during his discussion with his counterpart in Singapore, the island state will only regard Sinovac recipients as fully-vaccinated if they have completed both doses as well as received their booster.
"Maybe by way of encouraging them (Sinovac vaccine recipients who have yet to get their booster shot), I had discussed the matter with the health minister of Singapore.
"In the case of Sinovac recipients, Singapore also considers them (those who are fully-vaccinated) as those who had received three doses.
"If you want to enjoy your trip to Singapore without quarantine, then you know what to do. Get your booster," he said.
It was announced today that fully-vaccinated travellers can commute between Malaysia and Singapore via the land border without any Covid-19 testing or quarantine requirements, starting April 1.