COVID-19 Vaccination Trends and Rates amongst Youths and Seniors in Singapore

Debated in Parliament on 9 Jan 2023.

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Dr Lim Wee Kiak inquired about increasing booster hesitancy among younger Singaporeans due to prior infection or perceived lower variant risk, and sought clarification on the advisability of annual boosters.
Miss Cheryl Chan asked for the current second booster rate among seniors aged 70 and above, and whether more seniors, including those in nursing homes, would be encouraged to take boosters amid global travel and winter season.
Minister Ong Ye Kung stated that vaccination recommendations require three to four initial doses for minimum protection and one additional dose for those aged 12 and above within 5–12 months, with bivalent vaccines recommended for updates.
As of end-2022, about 90% of seniors and 60% of adults aged 18–59 achieved minimum protection, with similar proportions up-to-date, and MOH facilitates walk-ins and mobile teams for convenience.
MOH emphasized that vaccination remains the primary defense, with ongoing reviews of national strategy, including nasal vaccines, while comparing COVID-19 boosters to annual influenza vaccination.

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Lim Wee Kiak

Dr Lim Wee Kiak asked the Minister for Health (a) whether there is an increasing trend of younger Singaporeans being resistant to the idea of taking COVID-19 boosters because they have previously contracted COVID-19 or believe the new variants to be less infectious; and (b) what is the advisory with regard to the mindset that booster shots should not be required annually.

Summary written by AI (learn more)

Dr Lim Wee Kiak inquired about increasing booster hesitancy among younger Singaporeans due to prior infection or perceived lower variant risk, and sought clarification on the advisability of annual boosters.
Miss Cheryl Chan asked for the current second booster rate among seniors aged 70 and above, and whether more seniors, including those in nursing homes, would be encouraged to take boosters amid global travel and winter season.
Minister Ong Ye Kung stated that vaccination recommendations require three to four initial doses for minimum protection and one additional dose for those aged 12 and above within 5–12 months, with bivalent vaccines recommended for updates.
As of end-2022, about 90% of seniors and 60% of adults aged 18–59 achieved minimum protection, with similar proportions up-to-date, and MOH facilitates walk-ins and mobile teams for convenience.
MOH emphasized that vaccination remains the primary defense, with ongoing reviews of national strategy, including nasal vaccines, while comparing COVID-19 boosters to annual influenza vaccination.

Questions identified by AI (learn more)

COVID-19 Vaccination Trends and Rates amongst Youths and Seniors in Singapore

Debated in Parliament on 9 Jan 2023.

Summary written by AI (learn more)

Dr Lim Wee Kiak inquired about increasing booster hesitancy among younger Singaporeans due to prior infection or perceived lower variant risk, and sought clarification on the advisability of annual boosters.
Miss Cheryl Chan asked for the current second booster rate among seniors aged 70 and above, and whether more seniors, including those in nursing homes, would be encouraged to take boosters amid global travel and winter season.
Minister Ong Ye Kung stated that vaccination recommendations require three to four initial doses for minimum protection and one additional dose for those aged 12 and above within 5–12 months, with bivalent vaccines recommended for updates.
As of end-2022, about 90% of seniors and 60% of adults aged 18–59 achieved minimum protection, with similar proportions up-to-date, and MOH facilitates walk-ins and mobile teams for convenience.
MOH emphasized that vaccination remains the primary defense, with ongoing reviews of national strategy, including nasal vaccines, while comparing COVID-19 boosters to annual influenza vaccination.

Questions identified by AI (learn more)

Full Transcript

Lim Wee Kiak

Summary written by AI (learn more)

Dr Lim Wee Kiak inquired about increasing booster hesitancy among younger Singaporeans due to prior infection or perceived lower variant risk, and sought clarification on the advisability of annual boosters.
Miss Cheryl Chan asked for the current second booster rate among seniors aged 70 and above, and whether more seniors, including those in nursing homes, would be encouraged to take boosters amid global travel and winter season.
Minister Ong Ye Kung stated that vaccination recommendations require three to four initial doses for minimum protection and one additional dose for those aged 12 and above within 5–12 months, with bivalent vaccines recommended for updates.
As of end-2022, about 90% of seniors and 60% of adults aged 18–59 achieved minimum protection, with similar proportions up-to-date, and MOH facilitates walk-ins and mobile teams for convenience.
MOH emphasized that vaccination remains the primary defense, with ongoing reviews of national strategy, including nasal vaccines, while comparing COVID-19 boosters to annual influenza vaccination.

Questions identified by AI (learn more)

Ong Ye Kung

My response will also address the questions by Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye1 and Dr Wan Rizal2 which are scheduled for a subsequent Sitting.

Our current vaccine recommendation is for persons aged five years and above to complete three mRNA or Novavax/Nuvaxovid doses, or four Sinovac-CoronaVac doses to achieve minimum protection. Thereafter, persons aged 12 years and above should receive one additional dose between five months and one year from their last dose to keep their vaccination up to date. The bivalent vaccines are recommended for the additional doses.

This is not very different from vaccination against influenza, which is an endemic disease where the virus is constantly evolving and mutating. Annual vaccination is, therefore, recommended for influenza and commonly practised in many countries. The Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Expert Committee on COVID-19 Vaccination (EC19V) recommend up-to-date COVID-19 vaccinations for all eligible persons, young and old, because the benefits of vaccination outweighs the risks of being infected.

As of 31 December 2022, about 90% of individuals aged 60 years and above have achieved minimum protection and about 60% are up to date with their vaccinations. The proportions are similar for those aged 18 to 59 years.

MOH will continue to facilitate vaccinations. Currently, all eligible persons can walk-in to the Joint Testing and Vaccination Centres to receive additional doses beyond minimum protection, without an appointment. Mobile vaccination teams are also deployed to housing estates and nursing homes to make it more convenient for seniors to get vaccinated. The People's Association and the Silver Generation Office have also been reaching out to our seniors to encourage them to get their vaccinations and keep them up to date.

Vaccination remains our primary line of defence against COVID-19. At this time, the efficacy and safety of nasal COVID-19 vaccines are still being studied internationally. MOH, together with the EC19V, and other experts will continue to review the national vaccination strategy to best protect our population.

COVID-19 Vaccination Trends and Rates amongst Youths and Seniors in Singapore

Summary

Questions Identified

Full Transcript

Lim Wee Kiak

Summary

Questions Identified

COVID-19 Vaccination Trends and Rates amongst Youths and Seniors in Singapore

Summary

Questions Identified

Full Transcript

Lim Wee Kiak

Summary

Questions Identified

Miss Cheryl Chan Wei Ling

Ong Ye Kung