• Health Minister Ong Ye Kung described the take-up rate for Covid-19 vaccine among the 12 to 39 age group as good
• About four in five Singaporeans in this group have had their first dose or booked a slot to get a shot
• MOH has shortened the minimum interval between first and second doses of the vaccines to four weeks
• PRs and long-term pass holders aged 12 to 39 may register for vaccination from June 30

SINGAPORE — Almost four in five Singaporeans aged 12 to 39 have taken their first Covid-19 vaccine dose or booked a slot for the jab, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said in a statement on Tuesday night (June 29).

This came after the authorities opened up 500,000 booking slots over the past few days to cater to the 700,000 Singaporeans in this age group.  

Writing on Facebook, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung described the take-up rate of the citizens in this age group as good. 

“And I hope it will continue to rise,” he wrote.

In its statement, MOH also announced that bookings for vaccination slots will be opened for non-Singaporeans in this age group on Wednesday — two days earlier than what was announced last week. 

Since the announcement, about 50,000 Singaporeans in this age group have also brought forward the date of their vaccination appointments for their first dose, MOH said.

“We strongly encourage Singapore citizens aged 12 to 39 years who have not yet registered and booked their appointments to do so quickly, so that they can be protected against Covid-19 as early as possible,” it added.

SHORTENING INTERVALS BETWEEN JABS

The ministry also announced that from Wednesday, the minimum interval between the first and second doses of the vaccine will be shortened. Instead of six to eight weeks, the interval will now be four weeks for both the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines. 

“This will ensure that more of our population can now be fully vaccinated earlier,” it said.

People who have already received their first doses, and with second dose appointments now scheduled six to eight weeks later, may rebook and bring forward their second dose appointments to four weeks from their first dose appointment.

With the steady vaccination take-up by Singaporeans and with no shortage of vaccine supplies now, the Government will also bring forward the start date of the national vaccination programme for permanent residents and long-term pass holders in Singapore aged 12 to 39 years from July 2 to Wednesday. 

“This will better help sustain a strong momentum of vaccination. Every day matters,” Mr Ong wrote on Facebook. 

Having sped up the national inoculation programme, the authorities expect two-thirds of the population to have received both doses of the vaccine by National Day on Aug 9. 

Mr Ong added that coronavirus infections have been spreading in the United Kingdom, especially among the young, who are least vaccinated and “often out and about”. 

“While young people are less likely to develop severe disease, they can fall very sick too,” he said. 

In a chart that he shared on Facebook relating to case numbers in the UK, the age groups between 10 and 29 have observed large spikes in cases. 

VACCINATION RATES

MOH said that Singapore has continued to make “steady progress” with the country’s vaccination programme and that the take-up rate among residents “has been encouraging”.

As of June 28, the percentages of eligible persons across the different age groups who have received their Covid-19 vaccination or booked their appointments are as follows:

• Aged 60 and above: About 76 per cent 
• Aged 45-59: 78 per cent 
• Aged 40-44: 73 per cent 

Some 3.3 million people, or 60 per cent of the population, have received at least one dose of the vaccine while 2.1 million individuals have received their second dose and completed the full vaccination regimen.

MOH reiterated that vaccination remains a key enabler in Singapore’s fight against Covid-19.

“Its ability to help Singapore reopen safely can only be felt when we can collectively achieve a high level of population coverage for vaccination,” it added.

Mr Ong said that the biggest worry continues to be the older members of the population, with 24 per cent of seniors not yet vaccinated “for various reasons”. 

“We worry that as Singapore opens up, there will be more movement and activity between people, and the greater the likelihood of them being exposed to the virus,” he said. 

“So please try to persuade your loved ones to go for vaccination.”