![[Updated] Groups Eligible for COVID-19 Booster Vaccination](/images/default-source/media/gov/images/articles/thumnails/covid_booster_vaccination.jpeg?sfvrsn=254bd982_0)
[Updated 3 January 2022]
[New] Walk-ins for all age groups at vaccinations centres
From 4 January 2023, all eligible individuals can walk into any Joint Testing and Vaccination Centre (JTVC) or Children Vaccination Centre (CVC) without an appointment to receive their vaccinations and boosters.
Vaccinations at the polyclinics and Public Health Preparedness Clinics (PHPCs) will require an appointment, with the exception of seniors aged 80 years and above for polyclinics. To find the nearest vaccination locations and their operating hours, please visit here.
[Updated] Extension of Bivalent Booster to Younger Age Groups
From 12 December 2022, eligible individuals aged 12 years and above can receive the bivalent Pfizer-BioNTech/Comirnaty COVID-19 vaccine, which has been approved locally for use.
The bivalent Moderna/Spikevax vaccine is available to eligible individuals aged 50 years and above from 14 October 2022,
and to persons aged 18 years and above from 7 November 2022.
[Updated] Achieving Minimum Protection and an up-to-date vaccination status
Under the up-to-date vaccination arrangement,
- Persons aged 12 to 17 years old should complete three doses of mRNA to achieve minimum protection.
- Persons aged 18 years and above should complete three doses of mRNA or Novavax/Nuvaxovid, or four doses of Sinovac-CoronaVac, to achieve minimum protection.
- Persons aged 12 and above should receive an additional booster dose from around five months after their last vaccination, to keep up to date with their COVID-19 vaccination status. The updated bivalent vaccine is recommended for the additional booster dose. Please refer to the Annex for more info.
Booster recommended for individuals who received Sinovac-CoronaVac primary series
To achieve minimum protection, the EC19V now recommends that persons aged 18 and above who received only three doses of Sinovac-CoronaVac to receive the updated Moderna/Spikevax bivalent vaccine, or the Pfizer-BioNTech/Comirnaty or Novavax/Nuvaxovid vaccine.
Sinovac-CoronaVac vaccine is also allowed as booster doses, without a proof of medical ineligibility to mRNA or Novavax/Nuvaxovid vaccines
[Updated] Vaccination recommended for children aged 6 months to 4 year
From 16 January 2023, the Pfizer-BioNTech/Comirnaty vaccine for children aged 6 months to 4 years will be offered at JTVC Ang Mo Kio and JTVC Bukit Merah.
From 25 October 2022, children aged 6 months to 4 years are recommended to receive two doses of the Moderna/Spikevax vaccine eight weeks apart as part of their primary vaccination.
Booster recommended for children aged 5 to 11 years
The EC19V also recommends that children aged 5 to 11 years receive one booster dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech/Comirnaty vaccine, from five months after the second dose of their primary vaccination series to sustain protection against severe illnesses.
All children aged 12 years or below must be accompanied by their parent/guardian on the day of vaccination. Student Identification or Health Booklet and Birth Certificate, or Passport/Singpass are required for verification at the appointment.
Second booster shot for medically vulnerable persons aged 18 and above
Persons aged 18 years and older, who are medically vulnerable to severe COVID-19, can receive their second booster without the need for a physician’s referral. From 1 July 2022, medically vulnerable persons with specific health conditions [1] may self-declare their health conditions to receive their second booster by walking into any Vaccination Centre, PHPCs and polyclinics that offer vaccinations.
Other medically vulnerable persons will continue to be able to receive the second booster by providing a referral memo from their treating doctors.
Private Vaccination Programme Extended to All
The Private Vaccination Programme (PVP) has been extended to all individuals in Singapore aged 18 and above, including
local residents. This will allow individuals who wish to take additional vaccine doses, but who do not qualify under the National Vaccination Programme, to do so based on a doctor’s assessment. Vaccinations under PVP
will be at the individual’s own cost. Please refer to vaccine.gov.sg for the updated list of PVP providers.
Extending the Recommended Primary Vaccination Series Dosing Interval
The recommended dosing interval between the first two doses of a COVID-19 primary vaccination series had been set at 21 to 28 days depending on the vaccine used. There is now more evidence that an extended interval may confer better immune response and vaccine effectiveness.
EC19V now recommends the dosing interval to be extended to eight weeks between the first two doses of the primary vaccination series for all COVID-19 vaccines[2] available under the National Vaccination Programme, for those who have yet to be vaccinated with their primary vaccination series.
Individuals particularly at risk of exposure to COVID-19 or more susceptible to severe disease may still receive the doses earlier than the eight-week interval but not less than the previously established minimum intervals [3].
[1] These medical conditions include chronic diseases of the heart, lungs, kidneys, liver and other organ systems. Please refer to the Annex for more info.
[2] Vaccines available under the National Vaccination Programme are: Pfizer-BionTech/Comirnaty, updated Moderna/Spikevax bivalent vaccine (from 14 October 2022 onwards), Novavax/Nuvaxovid and Sinovac-Coronavac.
[3] The minimum intervals that the first two doses of the vaccines should be taken are: 21 days for Pfizer-BioNTech/Comirnaty and Novavax/Nuvaxovid, 28 days for Moderna/Spikevax and Sinovac-CoronaVac.
For more info, please refer to the MOH and the EC19V’s press release.
