Singapore Residents with "very exceptional circumstances" will also be allowed to appeal to receive vaccination early.
A COVID-19 vaccination exercise for the elderly at Tanjong Pagar Community Centre in Singapore on Jan 27, 2021. (File photo: Jeremy Long)
16 Mar 2021 04:46PM (Updated: 16 Mar 2021 04:49PM) [h=2]Share this content[/h]
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SINGAPORE: Singapore will set up seven more COVID-19 vaccination centres across the country, four of which will offer the Moderna vaccine. Authorities will also consider allowing residents with “very exceptional circumstances” to receive their doses earlier.
The seven vaccination centres, located at Bukit Batok, Bukit Merah, Jurong West, Punggol, Sengkang, Tampines and Woodlands, will progressively start operations from Wednesday (Mar 17), said the Ministry of Health (MOH).
AdvertisementAdvertisementBy mid-April there will be a total of 40 vaccination centres islandwide.
This is in addition to the 20 polyclinics and 22 Public Health Preparedness Clinics (PHPCs) that are also offering COVID-19 vaccines.
“All vaccination centres are wheelchair-friendly to provide easy access to seniors who have mobility concerns,” said MOH.
The four vaccination centres administering Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine are Hong Kah North, Marsiling, Punggol 21 and Radis Mas community clubs.
AdvertisementAdvertisement[h=3]READ: MOH updates COVID-19 vaccination guidelines; those with multiple allergies without anaphylaxis can now receive jabs[/h]The other vaccination centres, polyclinics and selected PHPCs will continue to offer the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. As more supplies of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine arrive, more vaccination centres will offer the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, said MOH.
Each centre will only stock and administer one type of COVID-19 vaccine, added the Health Ministry, and people must select the same centre for both their first and second doses.
“As the vaccination capacity of each vaccination centre is not the same, the waiting times for first dose vaccination will differ between the vaccination centres,” said MOH.
AdvertisementPeople are advised to check the availability of appointment slots in other centres if they are unable to secure their desired appointment dates at the centre of their choosing.
The ministry also encouraged people to book their appointments at vaccination centres, which have larger capacities than polyclinics.
[h=3]READ: Singapore receives its first shipment of Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine[/h]EARLY VACCINATION APPEALS
MOH said it would offer vaccines to more segments of the population from April, so that all Singaporeans and long-term residents can be vaccinated by end of the year.
“In the meantime, we have received appeals from members of the public who wish to receive their vaccination early for a variety of personal reasons,” said MOH.
“While our focus has been to vaccinate identified priority groups on public health considerations, as more vaccine supplies arrive, we will consider allowing Singapore citizens and permanent residents with very exceptional circumstances to receive their vaccination earlier.”
These include those who have an “urgent need” to travel overseas to take up or complete a formal education or vocational programme, or to be based overseas for work, and where remote learning or working is not an option.
Those who wish to travel overseas to visit or care for an immediate family member who is critically ill, or to seek “medically necessary treatment that cannot be reasonably received in Singapore”, will also be considered for early vaccination.
Those who plan to appeal for early vaccination should cater for the time needed to complete the full course. For the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines, the two doses required are three to four weeks apart. The vaccines will be “fully effective” a further two weeks after the second dose, said MOH.
They should aim to complete their appeal application about eight weeks in advance, and those successful will be notified via email.
[h=3]READ: How COVID-19 vaccines are transported to Singapore and stored here[/h]“We will do our best to accommodate all appeals that meet the stated criteria. But as vaccine supplies are limited, priority will be given to those travelling to higher risk countries or regions,” said the Health Ministry.
The ministry is also working with hospitals and clinics to provide earlier vaccination for their patients with complex chronic medical conditions who might be more vulnerable to severe complications if they contract COVID-19.
Such patients’ doctors will discuss with them if they are eligible for vaccination.
[h=3]BOOKMARK THIS: Our comprehensive coverage of the coronavirus outbreak and its developments[/h]Download our app or subscribe to our Telegram channel for the latest updates on the coronavirus outbreak: https://cna.asia/telegram
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16 Mar 2021 04:46PM (Updated: 16 Mar 2021 04:49PM) [h=2]Share this content[/h]
[h=2]Bookmark[/h]
SINGAPORE: Singapore will set up seven more COVID-19 vaccination centres across the country, four of which will offer the Moderna vaccine. Authorities will also consider allowing residents with “very exceptional circumstances” to receive their doses earlier.
The seven vaccination centres, located at Bukit Batok, Bukit Merah, Jurong West, Punggol, Sengkang, Tampines and Woodlands, will progressively start operations from Wednesday (Mar 17), said the Ministry of Health (MOH).
AdvertisementAdvertisementBy mid-April there will be a total of 40 vaccination centres islandwide.
This is in addition to the 20 polyclinics and 22 Public Health Preparedness Clinics (PHPCs) that are also offering COVID-19 vaccines.
“All vaccination centres are wheelchair-friendly to provide easy access to seniors who have mobility concerns,” said MOH.
The four vaccination centres administering Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine are Hong Kah North, Marsiling, Punggol 21 and Radis Mas community clubs.
AdvertisementAdvertisement[h=3]READ: MOH updates COVID-19 vaccination guidelines; those with multiple allergies without anaphylaxis can now receive jabs[/h]The other vaccination centres, polyclinics and selected PHPCs will continue to offer the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. As more supplies of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine arrive, more vaccination centres will offer the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, said MOH.
Each centre will only stock and administer one type of COVID-19 vaccine, added the Health Ministry, and people must select the same centre for both their first and second doses.
“As the vaccination capacity of each vaccination centre is not the same, the waiting times for first dose vaccination will differ between the vaccination centres,” said MOH.
AdvertisementPeople are advised to check the availability of appointment slots in other centres if they are unable to secure their desired appointment dates at the centre of their choosing.
The ministry also encouraged people to book their appointments at vaccination centres, which have larger capacities than polyclinics.
[h=3]READ: Singapore receives its first shipment of Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine[/h]EARLY VACCINATION APPEALS
MOH said it would offer vaccines to more segments of the population from April, so that all Singaporeans and long-term residents can be vaccinated by end of the year.
“In the meantime, we have received appeals from members of the public who wish to receive their vaccination early for a variety of personal reasons,” said MOH.
“While our focus has been to vaccinate identified priority groups on public health considerations, as more vaccine supplies arrive, we will consider allowing Singapore citizens and permanent residents with very exceptional circumstances to receive their vaccination earlier.”
These include those who have an “urgent need” to travel overseas to take up or complete a formal education or vocational programme, or to be based overseas for work, and where remote learning or working is not an option.
Those who wish to travel overseas to visit or care for an immediate family member who is critically ill, or to seek “medically necessary treatment that cannot be reasonably received in Singapore”, will also be considered for early vaccination.
Those who plan to appeal for early vaccination should cater for the time needed to complete the full course. For the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines, the two doses required are three to four weeks apart. The vaccines will be “fully effective” a further two weeks after the second dose, said MOH.
They should aim to complete their appeal application about eight weeks in advance, and those successful will be notified via email.
[h=3]READ: How COVID-19 vaccines are transported to Singapore and stored here[/h]“We will do our best to accommodate all appeals that meet the stated criteria. But as vaccine supplies are limited, priority will be given to those travelling to higher risk countries or regions,” said the Health Ministry.
The ministry is also working with hospitals and clinics to provide earlier vaccination for their patients with complex chronic medical conditions who might be more vulnerable to severe complications if they contract COVID-19.
Such patients’ doctors will discuss with them if they are eligible for vaccination.
[h=3]BOOKMARK THIS: Our comprehensive coverage of the coronavirus outbreak and its developments[/h]Download our app or subscribe to our Telegram channel for the latest updates on the coronavirus outbreak: https://cna.asia/telegram
Let's block ads! (Why?)
More...