Two in three uni students have signed up for jabs

Two in three students in autonomous universities in Singapore have signed up for the Covid-19 vaccine since invitations went out on Tuesday, said Education Minister Chan Chun Sing.

Overall, more than 50,000 students across all levels have got their first jab, he said in a Facebook post yesterday. He also said more than nine in 10 students from graduating cohorts have booked appointments to get vaccinated, while six in 10 have taken their first dose.

Mr Chan added that four in five eligible students from Primary 6 to Secondary 3, and those in their first year of junior college as well as polytechnic students have registered.

In his post, Mr Chan thanked Singaporeans for their support and understanding to allow children to book their appointments before the Health Ministry moves to vaccinate the rest of the population.

Currently, the national vaccination drive has not been opened to adults under 40.

Singapore's most recent rash of Covid-19 cases saw many students at all levels coming down with the virus.

In an earlier update on Monday, Mr Chan said almost nine in 10 students from graduating cohorts have signed up to be vaccinated, and half of them had received their first doses.

Those aged 18 and older have been allowed to opt for either the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccine, while those between 12 and 17 are offered only the Pfizer jab as the Moderna shot has not been approved for use for that age group.

MOH gave the green light for those aged 12 to 15 to get the Pfizer vaccine earlier in May.

The Government announced last month that more than 400,000 students would be invited to receive their Covid-19 jabs from June 1.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on June 10, 2021, with the headline Two in three uni students have signed up for jabs. Subscribe