PETALING JAYA: A fourth booster dose of the Covid-19 vaccine should only be considered if scientific evidence reveals it as a necessity, say health experts.

       Universiti Putra Malaysia medical epidemiologist Assoc Prof Dr Malina Osman said the possibility of a fourth dose, in effect a second booster shot, would have to be considered through a continuous monitoring of data.

       She said a system providing evidence on the actual antibody levels of an individual should also be established.

       “This way, we can identify those with waning antibodies and have them receive an additional dose.

       “Similarly, as more people get infected, some may have already developed natural antibodies towards the virus,” she said.

       Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia health economics, hospital and health management Prof Dr Sharifa Ezat Wan Puteh noted how countries such as South Korea had begun administering a fourth dose for frontliners and high-risk groups.

       “The same could be applied locally especially on medical frontliners.

       “As for the general population, it should only be emphasised for high-risk groups such as the elderly or the immunocompromised.”

       Dr Sharifa also noted how potential mutations could dictate whether a potential fourth or even annual doses were needed.

       “If the mutation proves itself to be more virulent, perhaps there would be a greater need for additional doses but this again depends on what scientific findings show,” she said.

       Universiti Malaya epidemiologist and public health expert Prof Dr Sanjay Rampal said any administration of future doses should only be considered once the immunity from the current booster campaign had sufficiently waned.

       “Boosters should be considered for those who may have higher risk of experiencing severe complications when infected such as the elderly and immunocompromised groups,” he said, adding that it would not be cost-effective to administer additional doses to the entire population at regular intervals.