Fully vaccinated seniors will be invited to receive their third dose of the Covid-19 vaccine from next Tuesday, as Singapore rolls out its booster shot programme.
Seniors aged 60 years and above and residents of aged-care facilities are eligible for the programme, along with those who are moderately to severely immunocompromised, said the Ministry of Health (MOH) yesterday. It had announced the programme on Sept 3.
Seniors who have completed their two-dose vaccination regimen at least six months ago will be invited to receive their booster dose of an mRNA vaccine with SMSes sent to their mobile numbers that they had registered with earlier, said MOH in its statement.
They can then book a new appointment on www.vaccine.gov. sg. Eligible residents of aged-care facilities can also expect to receive their booster dose in the coming weeks, said MOH.
At a virtual press conference by the multi-ministry task force on Covid-19 yesterday, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung urged those eligible for booster shots to sign up for them when they receive the SMSes.
The Expert Committee on Covid-19 Vaccination had last week recommended that seniors should receive their booster shots six to nine months after their two jabs.
The committee had said that seniors may develop a lower immune response to the initial two doses of vaccines, and immunity has also been observed to decline over time.
A booster dose is meant to increase the level of immunity and ensure that a high level of protection from severe disease is maintained across a longer period.
As for immunocompromised people, they are encouraged to receive a third dose of the same mRNA vaccine two months after their second dose, said MOH.
"However, they should consult their treating specialist, who would have the best understanding of their medical condition, prior to receiving their third dose."
Immunocompromised people who are eligible may receive the vaccination in a hospital or a specialist outpatient clinic of their treating specialist. They may also obtain a referral form by their doctor, and go to any vaccination centre for their third dose, MOH added.
This group includes transplant patients on medications that suppress the immune system, cancer patients on active treatment with chemotherapy, and people who have advanced or untreated HIV.
The expert committee had said evidence has shown that people who are moderately to severely immunocompromised have a blunted immune response to the two-dose Covid-19 vaccination. A third dose increases the likelihood that these people develop a robust protective immune response, it had said.
Meanwhile, about 1.5 per cent of Singapore's population has taken the Sinovac vaccine offered by private clinics, said Mr Ong yesterday.
His ministry has facilitated the ordering of new stock, which should arrive around Sept 20 and be available at clinics a few days after that.
Clinics have suspended vaccination as their stock has been depleted, he noted. MOH has also been administering the Sinovac vaccine to those who are allergic to the mRNA vaccine.
