KUALA LUMPUR, May 27 — When the minister of health announced last month that a second Covid-19 booster shot is recommended for individuals aged 60 and above with severe comorbidities, as well as for children aged 12 and above who are immunocompromised, he also said it is not compulsory.
On April 22, Khairy Jamaluddin said that these two groups will begin receiving “booking links” in stages via the MySejahtera application.
He added another group eligible for the second booster dose: individuals aged 18 and above who wish to go abroad and need to meet requirements of the country of destination.
However, the Health Ministry will not be setting the appointment for you like it did with the three previous vaccine shots.
Instead, you have to use the “booking link” to make the appointment yourself.
So how exactly do you do that? Let Malay Mail break it down for you.
The ‘booking link’
As mentioned before, if you fall into the first two groups — being 60 and above or younger but immunocompromised — you will start getting the “booking link” via the MySejahtera application.
To check if you have the link, open up the application and click on the “Covid-19 Vaccination” tab on the home page, followed by the “Vaccine for (your name)”, and the link to set your appointment should be there.
Don’t worry if it’s not there yet as Khairy said it would come in stages. Just check again in a few days’ time.
The appointment link is highlighted and underlined in blue: “Click here to book your appointment.”
Once you click it, you would need to answer a couple questions. Then to find clinics offering the booster shots nearest to you, type in your postcode.
This will then lead you to a list of clinics. Pick one for the date and time you wish.
Once you’ve set the appointment, all you need to do is head over, get your shot, and you’re done.
The second booster shot would then be reflected in your MySejahtera application.
But what if I don’t want to wait for the ‘booking link’?
Khairy said senior citizens can also walk in to any clinic offering booster shots or apply for the second booster dose at the nearest district health offices.
Some extra information: the elderly can only receive their second booster shot four to six months after the first one, and only the Pfizer (Comirnaty) vaccine will be available.
He also said that individuals undergoing treatment in government or private hospitals which are giving booster shots, can be given a second booster dose opportunistically.
Those at hospitals not participating in vaccinations will be given a pre-vaccination assessment (PVA) by a specialist and then referred to a nearby hospital that is.
Okay, so what about those who want the second dose to travel abroad?
Simple, they can just walk in a clinic offering booster shots without an appointment, but must bring along supporting documents such as their flight tickets or travel documents.
Khairy explained that individuals aged 18 and above who wish to go abroad can receive the second booster dose after an interval of at least one month from the first booster dose to meet requirements of the country of destination.
So that’s it, it’s fairly simple. If you fall into these three groups, now you know what you need to do.
