As the Covid-19 virus continues to mutate and evade vaccine protection, many Singaporeans have gotten at least one booster shot, and some vulnerable groups have received two as well.
But just like yearly flu vaccines, Covid-19 booster shots may become a regularity for everyone.
Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said in Parliament on Monday (1 Aug) that getting a booster shot every nine months to a year could be required to prevent reinfections in future.
Speaking in Parliament, Mr Ong warn that the Covid-19 virus might spread in Singapore again as the protection conferred by vaccines and prior infections wane, reports The Straits Times (ST).
To protect residents, Mr Ong said it’s key to anticipate when this will happen and to take the necessary precautions — the most important of which is to “keep our vaccinations up to date”.
While we may have hoped that vaccinations can protect against infection initially, this has not proven the case so far. Even a past infection may not be able to prevent reinfection in future as mutations become more transmissible.
He also urged for a rethink in how we treat booster shots and in particular, how we should stop counting the number of shots we have taken,
At some point, just like flu vaccinations, we have to stop counting the number of jabs we have taken.
Additionally, Mr Ong urged the public not to be complacent even as infection rates have been going down recently, pointing out that vaccine protection will fade over time.
But for now, there aren’t any changes to the Ministry of Health’s guidelines and recommendations.
The majority of the population does not suffer severe side effects from the Covid-19 vaccine. But our resistance to the vaccine may fade over time, which can result in reinfections and new waves of Covid-19 cases.
That said, while we don’t have to worry now, there may exist a variant that leads to more severe illness in the future.
As such, regular booster shots could become the norm in future.
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Featured image adapted from Ong Ye Kung on Facebook.
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The trials of a Grab delivery rider.
His case has been adjourned to 12 June.
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It is located in Block 1C of the estate.