Singapore to vaccinate children aged 12 to 15 following a spike in cases in schools
Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said that those aged 12 to 15 are to be vaccinated against Covid-19 with the Pfizer-BioNTech injection. The Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine was previously given only to those aged 16 years and above.
Speaking at a multi-ministry task force press conference, Mr Ong said that the expert committee on COVID-19 vaccination has also “weighed in with their endorsement” to use the vaccine for children aged 12 to 15 years.
The Ministry of Education (MOE) would work with the Ministry of Health (MOH) to plan the vaccination programme for this age group, more details on which would be provided soon.
Pfizer and BioNTech will follow up on the safety and efficacy of the vaccine in the clinical study for up to two years to determine its full safety profile for this age group, said HSA. The authority will also continue to closely monitor the safety of the vaccine.
Singapore also announced that people ages 40 to 44 would be invited to register for their vaccinations from Wednesday. In order to allow more people to receive their first dose, authorities also announced that they will be extending the duration between the first and second shots. Instead of administering the doses three or four weeks apart, the shots will be given six to eight weeks apart. The decision was made after studying global scientific evidence from clinical trials and the real-world rollout of vaccines, said the ministry.
