Singapore to start COVID-19 vaccines for children aged between 6 and 4 years

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Singapore to start COVID-19 vaccines for children aged between 6 and 4 years

SINGAPORE: Singapore will begin offering COVID 19 vaccines for children between the ages of six months and four years starting on October 25, the Ministry of Health MOH said on Friday. Children between the ages of five and 11 will be able to get their booster doses from this date, the ministry said in a news release.

MOH added that our children have a minimum level of protection and are up to date with their vaccinations.

The Moderna Spikevax vaccine will be given to children aged between six months and four years.

Those aged between five and 11 years old will be able to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech Comirnaty vaccine as a booster dose.

The ministry said that the recommendations of the Expert Committee on COVID 19 vaccine EC 19 V have been accepted by the MOH.

The EC 19 V recommends the vaccine for primary vaccination for children aged six months to five years after the HSA authorisation of the Moderna Spikevax vaccine for use in children aged six months to five years. The recommended Moderna Spikevax vaccine dosage for this age group is two doses of 25 micrograms each, eight weeks apart.

The vaccine from Pfizer BioNTech Comirnaty, which is a three-dose vaccine for children aged 6 months to 4 years, has been approved and we are waiting for delivery. MOH said it would be available by the end of the year.

From October 18, parents or guardians of children aged between six months and four years can register their interest in getting the Moderna Spikevax vaccine here.

MOH will also be able to roll out bivalent vaccines for booster jabs later this month.

It said that the updated bivalent vaccine will provide better protection against newer variants of COVID 19.

MOH will replace the original Moderna Spikevax vaccines with the updated bivalent version from October 17, 2022, for all vaccines using the Moderna Spikevax vaccine, for adults aged 18 years and above.

They should take the bivalent vaccines for persons aged 50 and above, or persons yet to achieve minimum protection, because they are at higher risk of severe illness due to COVID- 19 infection. The ministry said that the Pfizer Comirnaty bivalent vaccine is undergoing evaluation and is expected to be available by the end of the year.

It also announced a transition away from the current system of counting jabs.

The ministry said that instead of counting the number of shots and boosters we receive, we will move to a new definition of up-to-date vaccine.

This is similar to influenza vaccination, where individuals are advised to take them periodically to protect themselves against new strains of the endemic influenza virus as they arise. Under this regime, MOH said that those aged five years and above complete three mRNA or Novavax Nuvaxovid doses or four Sinovac-CoronaVac doses to achieve minimum protection.

After achieving minimum protection, persons aged 50 years and above should receive an additional booster dose between five months and one year from their last dose, to keep up-to-date with their COVID 19 vaccine, said the ministry.

Individuals will be considered up-to-date with their COVID 19 vaccine if they have received the minimum protection and their last vaccine dose has been received within the past one year.