Interval for injection of the first and second doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine cut from nine to six weeks beginning Oct 1

Jumat, 24 September 2021

Interval for AstraZeneca jabs cut to six weeks beginning Oct 1 - Khairy

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24/09/2021 09:14 PM

PUTRAJAYA, Sept 24 -- The interval for injection of the first and second

doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine will be cut from nine to six weeks beginning Oct 1, said Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin.

"This is to facilitate the vaccination of those who received the first dose of AstraZeneca; they can get their second dose after six weeks," he told a press conference on developments regarding COVID-19 here today.

In June, the Ministry of Health (MoH) had shortened the interval between the first and second doses for AstraZeneca vaccine to nine weeks from 12 weeks initially.

Recipients of the AstraZeneca vaccine have had to wait longer for their second jab compared to those who received other brands of vaccine.

On long COVID cases who had to be readmitted to the intensive care unit (ICU), Khairy said there had been cases of patients returning to hospital to be treated based on the long COVID symptom after their discharge.