COVID-19 vaccine update: Booster vs Third dose, what’s the difference?

In the latest COVID-19 vaccine update, we will cover Malaysia’s new milestone of fully vaccinating over 70% of the total population. And also, what’s the difference between a booster and a third dose? This and more in the latest video.

On 18th October, Malaysia has fully vaccinated 22.9 million individuals which is equivalent to 70.2% of the total population. This puts Malaysia ahead of several developed nations including Japan, the United Kingdom, Germany, South Korea and the United States in terms of fully vaccinated rates.

Malaysia has begun offering booster shots for senior citizens and high-risk groups. A booster shot is administered to fully vaccinated individuals who have gotten sufficient protection earlier but the protection levels may wane over time. For Pfizer recipients, a booster shot is given 6 months after individuals are fully vaccinated. Meanwhile, individuals who have been fully vaccinated with Sinovac are also eligible to receive Pfizer as the booster shot at least 3 months after getting the second dose. 

The third dose is defined as additional doses for people who are immunocompromised as they may not have sufficient immune response after receiving two doses of the vaccine. This includes cancer patients, organ recipients, kidney patients who require dialysis and individuals who can’t get enough protection from the standard two-dose vaccination. The third dose will be administered at least 28 days after receiving the second dose.

As more travel restrictions are being lifted, Malaysia is currently conducting a “test and release” pilot programme where individuals returning to Malaysia may skip quarantine. The pilot program is currently open to rulers, ministers, members of Parliament and government officials travelling overseas, and it is expected to be extended to business travellers.

To participate in the pilot programme, eligible individuals must submit supporting documents to the National Security Council and the Ministry of Health. A mandatory RT-PCR test is required 3 days before departing for Malaysia and another test at the entry point upon arrival in the country. The test and release pilot is only applicable for individuals travelling to low-risk countries.

As more teenagers are getting vaccinated, the cinema SOPs have been revised to allow all fully vaccinated individuals regardless of age to enter. This is applicable to Sarawak and states under Phase 4 of the National Recovery Plan.

This is our second last episode and we will release our final video of the COVID-19 vaccine Malaysia series this week. In case you missed it, the vaccine update series is also available in Malay on SoyaCincau BM.