18/02/2022
Some info on why our gov chose 8 weeks as the interval between vaccines for 5-11 years old.
With many parents bringing their kids for their Covid Vaccinations, some of them may realise that the children will need to wait 2 months (instead of the usual 3-4 weeks we waited for the adult Pfizer vaccine) for their next shot.
CDC in USA has stated in its site that the next dose should preferably be administered 21 days after the 1st dose. The link can be found here:https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/info-by-product/pfizer/downloads/Pfizer_PED_PrepAdmin.pdf
So why is Malaysia asking our kids to wait 5 weeks longer than the CDC recommendation?
Turns out, Malaysia is doing what's BEST for the kids, based on 2 main reasons.
1. Dragging out the interval to 8 weeks may reduce the risk of developing heart related problems like myocarditis and pericarditis (which was widely publicized although rare), based on researches like this https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/964611
2. An extended interval may also improve immunogenicity and vaccine effectiveness. Newer data suggests that antibody responses were higher following an extended interval (6–14 weeks). Hospitalization rates also reduced for those who got the 2nd shot 6-8 weeks apart.
Source:https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/acip/meetings/downloads/slides-2022-02-04/12-COVID-Oliver-508.pdf
Other countries like Canada have also opted for the 8 week interval like us.
So rest assured that the people up in our Ministry of Health know their stuff! Happy vaccinating!
