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MOH to explore making Covid-19 vaccination permanently free, guidelines on minimum jabs updated

SINGAPORE — 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). 

The Ministry of Health recommended that children receive minimal vaccination protection of three doses of an mRNA or Novavax vaccine, or four doses of Sinovac vaccine, while older individuals are recommended to receive occasional booster doses.
The Ministry of Health recommended that children receive minimal vaccination protection of three doses of an mRNA or Novavax vaccine, or four doses of Sinovac vaccine, while older individuals are recommended to receive occasional booster doses.
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  • Vaccination against Covid-19 will remain free and the first line of defence against the coronavirus, the Ministry of Health said
  • Persons aged five and above should receive the minimum vaccination protection, while older and other vulnerable people should get regular boosters
  • Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said that keeping Covid-19 vaccination free was "a very good preventive step"

SINGAPORE — 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 said that everyone aged five and above should receive the minimum vaccination protection while those aged 60 and over as well as other vulnerable individuals are recommended to get booster doses about once a year.

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

Thus, vaccinations will still be provided for free to all persons eligible under the national vaccination programme, even while 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 because 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 added that “at some point when things stabilise”, the Covid-19 vaccination may become a national recommendation, which means that 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 where the population live with the coronavirus as it does with the flu virus.

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 a messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) vaccine or a Novavax vaccine, or four doses of a 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
  • People aged 12 to 59 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 extra doses at this time.
  • Younger children aged six months to four years continue to be recommended to complete two doses of the Moderna-SpikeVax vaccine or three doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech (Comirnaty) vaccine. They are not recommended or eligible for extra doses at this time

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

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

Covid-19 treatments and testing will no longer be subsidised, but 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”, MOH said.

“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.” 

MOH added that certain patients with higher risk of severe infections, such as the immunocompromised and individuals with some comorbidities (having more than one disease or medical condition), may be referred by their doctors for free telemedicine support.

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