KUCHING: Sarawak will continue to use the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine in the booster dose programme as approved by the Health Ministry, says the state Health Department.

       Deputy health director Dr Rosemawati Ariffin said the Sinovac vaccine would only be given as a booster shot in certain circumstances.

       "To date, the administering of booster doses in Sarawak is in line with the Health Ministry's policy whereby the Pfizer vaccine is approved for recipients of Pfizer or Sinovac primary doses.

       "However, the Sinovac vaccine will be given as a booster if the recipient has a contraindication or allergy to the Pfizer vaccine," she said in a statement on Friday (Nov 12) in response to queries on why the Sinovac vaccine was not available as a booster dose in Sarawak.

       Dr Rosemawati also said the booster dose was given with priority to high-risk individuals and taking into consideration the time interval from the second dose based on the type of primary vaccine.

       "This is in accordance with the Health Ministry's circular and instructions on the implementation of the booster dose programme," she said.

       On Wednesday (Nov 10), Bukit Assek incumbent Mary Chang had asked why the Sinovac vaccine was not used as a booster dose in Sarawak.

       She called on the state government to make Sinovac available for the booster programme as the majority of vaccine recipients in the state had been given the Sinovac vaccine for their first and second doses.