Singapore to begin giving Covid-19 vaccines to children under 5
- Roll-out expected to be timed for end-October or early November given Singapore’s ‘relatively low’ caseload, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung says
- City state also plans to introduce bivalent jabs targeting both the wildtype virus and its circulating variants, Ong adds
But the government has no plans to include the Covid-19 jab as part of the country’s National Childhood Immunisation Schedule, which includes vaccinations for diseases such as tuberculosis and hepatitis B, Ong told lawmakers in parliament.
Of the 12 vaccinations listed in the schedule, shots for measles and diphtheria are mandatory.
On infant vaccinations, Ong said the republic currently had supplies of the two-dose Moderna shot approved for use on those aged six months to five years old.
Nonetheless, given Singapore’s “relatively low” caseload, the roll-out would be timed for end-October or early November.
It would begin concurrently with the booster programme offered to children aged five to 11.
“As we open up vaccinations to all these children … we want to continue to disclose as much information and medical information as we can,” Ong said.