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Singapore will deliver Covid-19 booster shots to better guard against Delta variant
- Health minister Ong Ye Kung on Friday said that as the Delta variant spreads, there have been more cases of fully vaccinated individuals becoming infected
- Eligibility for a third shot will include people whose immune systems are compromised, seniors older than 60 and residents of aged care facilities
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Singapore will this month begin administering Covid-19 booster shots for certain residents, officials confirmed on Friday, as governments around the world weigh the need for a third vaccine dose.
Trade minister Gan Kim Yong, who co-chairs Singapore’s pandemic task force, said an expert committee has evaluated the need for booster shots.
“They have concluded that it will boost vaccine effectiveness and maintain a high level of protection against more severe infections,” he said during a virtual press conference.
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Eligibility for a third shot will include people whose immune systems are moderately or severely compromised, seniors older than 60 and residents of aged care facilities.
The health ministry said people who are “immunocompromised” – such as patients undergoing cancer treatment – have a “blunted” response to vaccination. They are recommended to receive a third dose of the same mRNA vaccine two months after their second dose.
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SCMP Explains: What’s in a Covid-19 vaccine?
SCMP Explains: What’s in a Covid-19 vaccine?
Seniors, who are also at risk of severe Covid-19 infection, are recommended to receive a booster dose six to nine months after their second dose.
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