By The SUN
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| Adults can now get a booster shot 3 months after receiving the 2nd dose of a vaccine |
Experts advising the government on its pandemic response have recommended a shorter waiting period for booster shots of Covid-19 vaccines and for administering the second dose to children and adolescents aged 5 to 17 years old.
During
their meeting Friday night, the two scientific committees under the Centre for
Health Protection and an expert advisory panel to the Chief Executive agreed to
cut down the waiting period for the booster shot for adults (those aged above
17), to three months from the previous six months.
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The experts “strongly recommended” administering BioNTech shots regardless of whether the initial doses were of the same brand or from Sinovac.
Various studies have shown that the antibody levels provided by BioNTech vaccines are significantly higher than those gained from Sinovac shots.
Priority will be given to persons aged 60 and above due to local experience showing their higher vulnerability to severe Covid-19 disease and higher fatality rate.
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Adolescents aged 12 to 17 are also recommended to get booster shots, with the waiting time depending on which vaccine they received for their first two doses.
For those who received two doses of Sinovac, they can get a third jab of either Sinovac o BioNTech as soon as three months after the second dose.
For those who received BioNTech, they will need to wait for five months for the second dose. A BioNTech jab is recommended but Sinovac will also be made available as an alternative based on personal choice.
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For those aged 5 to 17, the recommended waiting period between the first two doses of BioNTech vaccines will be cut to eight weeks from the previous 12. The shots should be given at mid-thigh.
Experts also recommended a fourth dose of a Covid-19 vaccine for immunocompromised patients aged 12 years old and above. Younger patients are still limited to just three doses as of now.
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A government statement said vaccines can protect individuals from severe illnesses and complications from Covid-19. Local experience also shows fully vaccinated patients have much lower fatality rate than those not fully vaccinated.
The experts strongly recommended that all eligible persons who have not yet received a Covid-19 to do so immediately.
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For those receiving a vaccine for the first time, priority should be given to those aged 12 years old and below or 60 and above, as recent cases show they are at high risk of getting life-threatening complications from Covid-19.
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