COVID-19 Vaccinations To Begin On Wednesday
SINGAPORE – Workers here can look forward to their safe return to the office soon, as The Business Times reported on Sunday evening (27 December, SGT) that the COVID-19 vaccines will be administered starting on 30 December.
According to the Ministry of Health (MOH), the first recipients are the healthcare workers at the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID), while those in other healthcare facilities will get vaccinated in the following weeks.
“Public healthcare institutions – including acute hospitals, community hospitals and polyclinics – as well as private healthcare providers, will progressively arrange for their staff to be vaccinated within their respective premises,” stated the Ministry, adding that the government plans to implement all of the recommendations of the Expert Committee on Covid-19 Vaccination.
From February 2021, MOH plans to start vaccinating the elderly, beginning with those age 70 years and above, in order to minimise COVID-19 related morbidity and mortality, as well as make sure that Singapore’s healthcare system continues to have the capacity to take care of the general population.
The Expert Committee also said that roughly 5 percent of the available vaccine supply at any point in time will be allocated for individuals with important roles, including those who work in the utilities sector and other “nationally essential services”.
“Thereafter we will vaccinate other Singaporeans and long-term residents who are medically eligible for vaccination,” said the Ministry, adding that more information will be shared in due time.
MOH also emphasised that while the vaccination is crucial to enable us to return to a “safer state of affairs”, it’s not a “not a silver bullet that can end the pandemic immediately”.
Nonetheless, vaccination will complement other available key enablers, like safe management measures, contact tracing, and testing, which will still be needed in reducing the spread of the infection and keeping community transmission low.
“We seek the cooperation of all Singaporeans to continue to remain vigilant and disciplined in our fight against COVID-19, by observing safe distancing and safe management measures, and wearing a mask when out of the home. If we all work together, we can look forward to a safer and healthier 2021,” added the Ministry.
