Covid-19 Vaccination For Those Under 45 To Start In Late May: Gan Kim Yong

Those Under 45 Can Progressively Receive Covid-19 Vaccination From Later Half Of May

Singapore’s Covid-19 vaccination programme is well underway, with over 2.2 million jabs administered to date.

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While the elderly and essential workers have been given priority, most residents might be able to get their jabs very soon.

Speaking in Parliament on Tuesday (11 May), Health Minister Gan Kim Yong said that vaccination for those under 45 years old would begin in late May.

He also said that the take-up rate of the vaccine has been encouraging thus far.

Vaccination to be extended to those under 45 starting May

In April, the government announced that those below 45 can book their vaccination slots in June.

Now, thanks to our nation’s vigorous vaccination efforts, those under 45 will be able to receive their vaccinations in the latter half of May.

Minister Gan explained on Tuesday (11 May) that they will progressively extend the vaccination programme in smaller age bands.

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According to The Straits Times (ST), this is due to limited vaccine supplies.

But as long as vaccine supplies continue to arrive as planned, Singapore will be able to complete the vaccination programme by the end of 2021.

Take-up rate encouraging but not enough

Over 1.8 million people have already received their first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine as of 9 May.

Of this, around 1.2 million have completed the full vaccination regimen.

With about 67% of those above 45 already receiving a jab or made a vaccine booking, Minister Gan said that these numbers are encouraging.

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Nonetheless, Minister Gan says this is not enough and urges the public to encourage family members – especially the elderly – to get vaccinated, reports ST.

Benefits of vaccine far outweigh risks

Over recent weeks, Singapore has seen a rising number of Covid-19 community cases, some of which have been fully vaccinated.

In total, 30 fully vaccinated individuals in Singapore have tested positive for Covid-19. Another 24 imported cases have also been fully vaccinated.

Addressing concerns over vaccine efficacy, Minister Gan stressed that the vaccine might not completely shield one from getting infected, but it still prevents severe reactions to the infection.

Illustrating his point, Minister Gan pointed out that 57% of vaccinated individuals who were infected presented no symptoms. According to ST, none of them needed intensive care.

It is also likely to reduce the likelihood of transmission.

Overall, the benefits of getting vaccinated still far outweigh the risks, and Minister Gan encourages all Singaporeans to get vaccinated.

Uptick in cases a reminder of importance of vaccine

The recent uptick in Covid-19 cases in Singapore has been concerning.

But it also serves to remind us of the importance of getting vaccinated to protect ourselves and our loved ones.

Hopefully, we can look forward to most of our population being vaccinated by the end of the year, and more semblances of normalcy can return to our island city.

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Featured image adapted from The Straits Times via YouTube.