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Much has been said this month about whether or not Singapore malls should place restrictions on adults unvaccinated against Covid-19.
Among them are those deemed medically unfit for the jab, such as those with a history of severe anaphylaxis, low platelet counts, or severely weakened immune systems.
This letter is about this specific group who still need to enter and exit malls, though no specific allowances have been made for them to do so with the same permissions as vaccinated people.
Still, being saddled with a real medical condition that’d make a Covid-19 jab risky isn’t their fault. And I believe the government doesn’t intend to exclude this group from sipping mall bubble tea and enjoying free air-con in flip-flops as any proud Singaporean would.
Therefore, may I suggest that the TraceTogether app display a new status called “Exempted From Vaccine By MOH” in a clearly visible font and colour, so mall, restaurant, and hawker centre staff can quickly verify their status and let them through.
Perhaps this status can be granted by doctors to teenagers and adults, and also automatically apply to all children under 12 who’re unable to take the jab yet.
Of course, this will be recorded in their TraceTogether apps and tokens.
Not all vaccine-hesitant people are against vaccination after all. Some are genuinely medically unfit, and waiting for suitable alternatives to Singapore’s present selection of vaccines.
Of course, there are perfectly healthy unvaccinated people who are medically eligible to take the jab but have not — that’s perhaps a story for another MustShareMail.
By the way, 320 new vaccines are in the works today according to the WHO, so some people may well be deemed medically suitable for those exempted from currently available vaccines.
Therefore, I suggest that MOH send the vaccine-exempt updates at the appropriate time, encouraging them to consult a doctor to evaluate if future new vaccines are suitable for them.
Yours sincerely,
Krystal Ng
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Featured image adapted from Spencer Davis on Unsplash.
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