The New Paper
Vaccines may protect for up to 18 months, third jab may be needed
Health Ministry s director of medical services Kenneth Mak said another jab could also be required to guard against new variants of the virus. PHOTO: MCI
Individuals vaccinated against Covid-19 may be protected for up to 18 months.
Beyond that, additional vaccination shots might be needed if a person s immunity to the virus begins to wane, the Ministry of Health s (MOH) director of medical services Kenneth Mak said yesterday.
Another jab could also be required to guard against new variants of the virus, he added, in response to a question at a virtual news conference on plans to administer a third dose of the vaccine.
3rd dose may be needed 18 months from last COVID vaccine jab: MOH official
SINGAPORE While health authorities here expect the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines to confer protection against the coronavirus for up to 18 months, a booster dose may eventually be needed in vaccinated individuals in order to guard against new variants of COVID-19. While vaccination gives a clear protective benefit to all who may be exposed to COVID-19 infection, the vaccination is not 100 per cent protective. (And) beyond (18 months), it s still a relatively uncertain situation, said director of medical services Kenneth Mak at a virtual news conference on Thursday (22 April).
December 15, 2020
The Health Sciences Authority and the expert committee on Covid-19 vaccination have concluded the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is effective and safe.
Reuters
SINGAPORE - Monday s press conference by the multi-ministry taskforce on Covid-19 saw a range of questions asked on Singapore s planned vaccination rollout. Clara Chong reports on some of the highlights.
Q: Why is the vaccination programme voluntary and not mandatory? How does the government hope to encourage greater public acceptance of vaccination apart from getting it free?
A: Very few vaccinations are made mandatory, because the Government wants to respect people s choice, Health Minister Gan Kim Yong said. But the taskforce hopes to encourage everyone to be vaccinated since the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) and the expert committee on Covid-19 vaccination have concluded the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is effective and safe.
Q: Why is the vaccination programme voluntary and not mandatory? How does the Government hope to encourage greater public acceptance of vaccination apart from getting it free?
A: Very few vaccinations are made mandatory, because the Government wants to respect people s choices, Health Minister Gan Kim Yong said. But the task force hopes to encourage everyone to be vaccinated since the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) and the expert committee on Covid-19 vaccination have concluded the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is effective and safe.
However, the Government will not force anyone to accept the vaccine, which is still new. The task force is still learning more about the disease as well as the vaccine, such as how effective it is, and what its side effects are. Long-term data is still being gathered, and as the task force studies the vaccine profile and its side effects, it is prudent for it to make recommendations, but not insist that every Singaporean take it up.
Answers to key questions on vaccination strategy straitstimes.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from straitstimes.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.