NDO/VNA - The Health Ministry of Malaysia has shortened the interval period after the second dose for people receiving booster shots of the Pfizer and Astra Zeneca COVID-19 vaccines to three months from the previous duration of six months.

Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said at a press conference on December 28 that the recommendation applies to individuals aged 18 years old and above.

According to the official, the latest data showed that Omicron variant is highly transmissible with higher viral binding affinity and higher antibody escape from the vaccine or from natural antibody.

The booster may increase the protection against Omicron; and initial research that involving 21 million doses of boosters that were given in the UK proved that it is safe, he added.

In the context of increasing number of infections of the variant in Malaysia, local medical experts have called on the government to re-impose centralised isolation regulations on entries after reports showed that many people did not adhere to home isolation.

Statistics show that the nation has so far detected 62 cases of Omicron variant, mostly related to people returning home after traveling abroad.