The government is on track to have 10 COVID-19 vaccination centres by the end of February, with two already set up at Changi Airport Terminal 4 and Raffles City Convention Centre which started operations on Wednesday (13 January). Two more are set to be ready for operations next week—one at the former Hong Kah Secondary School and another at Woodlands Galaxy Community Centre.
In a press statement on Wednesday, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said that more centres are being planned across the island and will be rolled out in tandem with the arrival of further vaccine shipments.
This is part of the government’s efforts to get the vaccine out to all Singaporean and long-term resident who are medically eligible to receive their vaccinations in a convenient manner. The MOH said it is making provisions to enable this group of the population to be inoculated by the third quarter of this year, barring unforeseen disruptions to vaccine shipments.
Specifically, the MOH also noted that seniors will start to be inoculated later in January as letter are sent out to senior to inform them about booking an appointment. Those who are residents and clients in the community care sector will also be progressively vaccinated.
MOH noted that nursing homes have started engaging residents and next-of-kin about the vaccination, adding that the Ministry will work with these providers to encourage all medically eligible residents and clients to be vaccinated.
More details will be provided later, said the Ministry.
For now, MOH elaborated that vaccinations have been offered to those in the healthcare sector, both in public and private institutions. Frontline workers including those at border entry points as well as those involved in the COVID-19 response effort—such as swabbers and people working in quarantine and community care facilities—have also been offered vaccinations.
The statement revealed that over 6,200 individuals have received their first dose of the vaccine as of 12 January, with that figure expected to rise in the coming weeks as vaccination efforts ramp up.
In a single day on 12 January, close to 2,800 individuals were vaccinated, including 2,500 healthcare workers, said the Ministry.
The MOH also stressed that as the population is progressively vaccinated, people should still adhere to safe management measures to help mitigate the spread of COVID-190 and keep community transmission low, as the vaccine is “not a silver bullet”.