Singapore
Singapore MoH to explore making Covid-19 vaccination permanently free, guidelines on minimum jabs updated
MOH recommended that children receive minimal vaccination protection of three doses of mRNA or Novavax vaccine, or four doses of Sinovac vaccine, while older individuals are recommended to receive occasional booster doses. — TODAY pic

SINGAPORE, Feb 9 — Vaccination will continue to be offered for free and remain the first line of defence against Covid-19 as Singapore scales back on its infection control measures, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said on Thursday (Feb 9).

In a statement, MOH recommended that children receive minimal vaccination protection of three doses of mRNA or Novavax vaccine, or four doses of Sinovac vaccine, while older individuals are recommended to receive occasional booster doses.

Advertising
Advertising

The ministry said that Singapore’s high vaccination rates have been "pivotal” in protecting the healthcare system despite successive Covid-19 infection waves.

Thus, vaccinations will still be provided for free to all persons eligible under the National Vaccination Programme, even as financial support for Covid-19 treatments and testing get scaled back.

Responding to a media query during a press conference on Thursday, health minister Ong Ye Kung said that vaccinations will continue to be offered for free as it is "a very good preventive step”.

"Covid-19 vaccination is not yet becoming a national recommendation because the situation is still evolving. But in the process, we are keeping it free,” he said.

He added that "at some point when things stabilise”, the Covid-19 vaccination may become a national recommendation, which means it will become permanently free.

In its statement, MOH said that the Expert Committee on Covid-19 Vaccination has reviewed vaccination guidelines in light of Singapore’s high level of resilience and with the transition to a new, endemic Covid-19 normal.

The following are the new recommendations for Covid-19 vaccines:

• Everyone aged five and above should achieve at least minimum protection. This refers to taking three doses of mRNA or Novavax vaccine, or four doses of Sinovac vaccine.

• Individuals at higher risk of severe disease from Covid-19 are recommended to take a booster shot around a year after their last booster dose. These include persons aged 60 years and above, medically vulnerable persons, and residents of aged care facilities.

• Those aged 12 to 59 years who are healthy have a lower risk of severe disease. Regardless, a booster dose around one year after their last booster shot will be offered to enhance their protection.

• Children aged five to 11 years continue to be recommended to achieve minimum protection. They are neither recommended nor eligible for additional doses at this time.

• Young children aged six months to four years continue to be recommended to complete two doses of Moderna/SpikeVax or three doses of Pfizer-BioNTech/Comirnaty. They are not recommended nor eligible for additional doses at this time.

To ensure vaccination remains convenient for senior residents, MOH said that mobile vaccination teams will continue to be deployed in heartland locations.

Teams will be mobilised to multiple locations for three days each from Feb 15 to April 2.

While Covid-19 treatments and testing will no longer be subsidised, Covid-19 oral antivirals will remain fully subsidised for clinically eligible patients in outpatient, ambulatory settings of public hospitals and nursing homes "until further notice”, said MOH.

"This is because these are important preventive steps and treatments to avoid severe disease and hospitalisations, and will remain an important part of living with Covid-19,” said the ministry.

MOH added that certain patients with higher risk of severe Covid-19 infections, such as the immunocompromised and individuals with some comorbidities, can be referred by their doctors for free telemedicine support. — TODAY

Related Articles

 

You May Also Like