SINGAPORE, Oct 12 — The Ministry of Health (MoH) is rolling out the Moderna-Spikevax bivalent vaccine, which offers protection against the original Covid-19 virus and the Omicron variant, to people eligible for the shot from Friday (October 14). This will be a few days earlier than first planned.

Those aged 50 and above, who received their last vaccine dose more than five months ago, may walk into any of nine joint testing and vaccination centres to receive a dose of the bivalent Moderna-Spikevax vaccine.

Anyone who has not received their minimum protection against Covid-19 is also eligible for the vaccine.

In a statement, MoH said the reason for bringing forward the roll-out was that its staff members had completed preparations earlier "and there are benefits to administering early as infections are rising due to the XBB Omicron sub-variant”.

On MoH's website, it is stated that the XBB sub-variant has been detected in several countries such as Australia, India, Japan and the United States since August this year.

"Based on preliminary local data, XBB cases are not more serious than other Omicron sub-variants,” it states.

Speaking to the news media on Tuesday at a joint testing and vaccination centre in Commonwealth, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said: "Cases are rising and if we are operationally ready and we can do it earlier, I would say, 'Why not?'"

MoH said that the Moderna-Spikevax bivalent vaccine "will provide better protection against newer Covid-19 variants”.

When asked by TODAY whether the bivalent vaccine specifically covers the XBB virus strain, a spokesperson said: "It's for the Omicron variants.”

Ong noted that cases resulting from the Omicron sub-variant XBB have seen a sharp spike here. The variant is also referred to as BA.2.10.

"In Singapore, it is rising very fast. Within three weeks, from nothing, it is now over half of all the daily cases. So (it is) obviously outcompeting BA.2.75 and also BA.5,” Ong said.

However, he added that there is no evidence so far that this strain leads to more severe outcomes, adding that the Government is watching the situation closely.

Ong and Gan Kim Yong, Minister of Trade and Industry, co-chairs of the government's Covid-19 task force, were at the Commonwealth joint testing and vaccination centre to receive a dose of the bivalent vaccine on Tuesday.

Speaking to the media afterwards, Gan said: "I encourage Singaporeans, especially those 50 years and above, to also come forward to get the bivalent vaccine done as soon as possible. So this way, we can keep our loved ones safe and keep our fellow Singaporeans safe as well.”

MoH said that the bivalent Moderna-Spikevax vaccine has proved to be safe and effective.

In a clinical trial done among adults aged 18 years and older, the bivalent vaccine generated an antibody response against the Omicron strain that was 75 per cent greater than the original booster, MoH added.

The side effects after vaccination were also similar for both the bivalent and original vaccine.

The public may walk in to get the Moderna-Spikevax vaccine at these nine joint testing and vaccination centres located in:

• Ang Mo Kio

• Bukit Merah

• Commonwealth

• Jurong East

• Kaki Bukit

• Pasir Ris

• Sengkang

• Woodlands

• Yishun

The addresses and opening hours of these centres may be found at https://www.vaccine.gov.sg/locations. ― TODAY