According to a report in News Straits Times, Universiti Malaya's Tropical Infectious Diseases Research and Education Centre (Tidrec) will conduct the study for a year.

"At the end of the 12 months, we will be able to establish whether booster shots are needed based on the study's findings on the immunological memories post-vaccination or recovery,” said Tidrec director Professor Dr Sazaly Abu Bakar.

Volunteers will be studied

The study will be conducted in several stages where blood sample from 200 volunteers will be taken prior to getting their jabs, as well as after getting their jab.

Blood would also be drawn from volunteers in the second, third, sixth, ninth and 12th month post-vaccination

"The serum extracted from the blood samples will be tested for antibodies through lab tests, which include exposure to emerging variants.

"As funding is limited, the research is not yet a comparative analysis between or among vaccines. We will just be studying those vaccinated with one particular vaccine," he said.

He also said half of the centre’s current RM1 million funding from the US government will be spent on monitoring how long natural immunity against Covid-19 and its variants will last.

He added that if the study is expanded, they could look at things like the efficacy of the vaccines used and if it’s alright to mix and match vaccines.

Meanwhile, the project's second group would involve an additional 200 volunteers who have recovered from Covid-19 infection.