KUALA LUMPUR, June 18 — Form Five students will begin receiving their Covid-19 vaccination next month using the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said.

He said this in a press conference with Pahang Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail.

"We are trying to get it done within July.

"Yes, first dose in July. Form Five students, because the education minister wants the option. This has not been decided by the National Security Council (NSC), but he wants the option to send the exam students, Form Five and Form Six students back to school, perhaps by the end of July or August, depending on the spread of cases.

"So when that’s going to be the case, I have to give them the jabs in July,” he said, adding that the vaccines would be administered in schools.

On Wednesday, Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah announced that the Comirnaty vaccine produced by Pfizer-BioNTech has been approved for use in those aged 12 and above.

He said that the decision was reached at the 359th Drug Control Authority (PKBD) meeting.

Comirnaty was previously approved for conditional registration on January 8, 2021, for use on individuals who are 18 years of age and above.

Dr Noor Hisham said that despite the approved additional indications, the Health Ministry (MoH) is still of the view that vaccination priority should be given to high-risk groups in line with the existing policy set under the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (NIP).