Covid Vaccine

What is COVID-19?

COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Transmission of the virus occurs primarily through the respiratory droplets of infected people.

What are the symptoms of COVID-19?

COVID-19 affects different people in different ways. While some people may not experience any symptoms at all, others may experience Acute Respiratory Infection (ARI) symptoms such as fever, cough, runny nose, sore throat, loss of taste or smell.

How do I protect myself against COVID-19?

Vaccination remains our first line of defence against COVID-19. Our high vaccination rates have been pivotal to enable us to weather successive waves of COVID-19 infections, build up our societal resilience, protect our healthcare system, and arrive at the endemic COVID-19 norm today. The latest vaccination guidelines can be found at this link.

Health Advisory

Unvaccinated persons should receive two initial vaccine doses at an interval of eight weeks apart.

An additional dose of an updated vaccine for 2024 continues to be recommended, and it should be administered around 1 year (and no earlier than 5 months) after the last dose received. The additional dose is:

Vaccination Fact Sheet

The Pfizer-BioNTech/Comirnaty vaccines have been authorised by the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) for use in Singapore. The vaccines are available for persons aged 6 months and above. Read this information carefully. Consult your doctor or clinic if you have questions.

1. What is the Pfizer-BioNTech / Comirnaty COVID-19 vaccine?

The Pfizer-BioNTech / Comirnaty COVID-19 vaccine protects against COVID-19. The vaccine contains messenger RNA (mRNA) which helps your immune system to produce protection. The vaccine reduces the risks of infection and severe disease from COVID-19, and has good protection against the current virus variants. For persons aged 6 months and above, the primary series of the vaccine consists of 2 doses taken at the recommended interval of 8 weeks or at least 21 days apart. Additional doses of the vaccine may be taken after completion of a primary series, in persons aged 6 months and above in accordance with prevailing recommendations. The vaccine is safe, but like other vaccines and medications, side effects can happen. These are usually mild and get better in 1 to 3 days.

2. Who should get the vaccine?

Who should not get the vaccine? You should get this vaccine to be protected against COVID-19. You must be 6 months old and above. You should NOT get this vaccine if you had a high-risk allergic reaction (including anaphylaxis), to a prior dose of this vaccine if it occurred within 4 hours of vaccination, or if you have a known allergy to any ingredients in this vaccine, such as Polyethylene glycol (PEG). If you had an allergy or anaphylaxis to other vaccines, you CAN receive this vaccine without the need for an allergist review. Tell your doctor or nurse before getting this vaccine if you:

had a fever in the past 24 hours
have active cancer treatment, organ/stem cell transplantation, or are immunocompromised
have a low platelet count, bleeding disorder, or taking blood thinning medications
had COVID-19 infection before, or received another COVID-19 vaccine Most people with the above conditions or situations can receive the vaccine, but the doctor or nurse may provide additional advice.

3. What are the possible side effects? How do I manage the side effects?

The vaccine has been assessed to be safe for use. However, you may experience common side effects, similar to other vaccines. Most side effects are mild or moderate, and usually get better within a few days. The table below lists some common side effects that have been reported with this vaccine, and how to manage them.

Side Effects

How to Manage

Pain, redness, swelling at the injection site

Those with fever are advised to self-isolate at home until the fever subsides.

Fever, chills

Headache, muscle pain, joint pain

Those with fever are advised to self-isolate at home until the fever subsides.

Tiredness

Rest

Lymph node swelling at neck or arms

Usually gets better by itself in a week or so

See a doctor if:

The side effects persists or get worse
The fever persists for more than 48 hours
Respiratory symptoms such as cough, runny nose, sore throat, shortness of breath or loss of sense of taste and smell develop
Heart or chest symptoms such as chest pain, shortness of breath or abnormal heart beats develop.

Advice for different groups of vaccine recipients:

If you are on blood thinning medicines, press firmly on the injection site for 5 minutes.
If you are on active cancer treatment, recent organ/stem cell transplantation or are on aggressive immunotherapy, please consult your specialist to discuss if you can get this vaccine.
Pregnant women and those planning to get pregnant should get vaccinated. Vaccination carries significant benefits for pregnant women and women trying to conceive. There is no evidence that vaccination is harmful in pregnancy. Before vaccination:
Continue to take your medications as usual, and do not stop them just for the vaccination.
Avoid dehydration or skipping meals, to reduce risk of fainting after vaccination.
If you have a fever or are acutely ill, you should reschedule your vaccination. After vaccination: It is advisable to avoid the following after vaccination, to reduce the risk of adverse effects:
Men aged 12-29 should avoid strenuous physical activity or intense exercise for one week after each dose.

Answers to Frequently Asked Questions on Getting Vaccinated

1. I have recovered from COVID-19. How soon can I receive my next vaccination dose?

You can get your next dose 28 days after the infection, if you are due for your vaccination.

You may book an appointment at participating General Practitioner (GP) clinics using this link, or at selected polyclinics through the HealthHub booking system.

2. Can individuals with a history of allergies or anaphylaxis to other medications, drugs, food, insect stings, or unknown triggers (idiopathic) take COVID-19 vaccine?

Individuals with a history of anaphylaxis to other medications, drugs, food, insect stings, or unknown triggers (idiopathic) CAN be vaccinated.

There is no evidence to suggest that individuals with a history of anaphylaxis to non-vaccine related triggers are at higher risk of anaphylaxis to the COVID-19 vaccines.

However, individuals with an allergy to other inactivated vaccines should NOT receive the Sinovac-CoronaVac.

3. Who is eligible to receive fully-subsidised COVID-19 vaccinations under the National Vaccination Programme?

The following groups of residents and pass holders are eligible to receive fully-subsidised COVID-19 vaccinations under the National Vaccination Programme:

Singapore Citizen
Permanent Resident
Employment Pass
S-Pass
Work Permit holders (including Confinement Nannies)
Student’s Pass
Dependant’s Pass
MFA-issued IDs
Long Term Visit Pass (and LTVP+)
Training Employment Pass
Training Work Permit
Work Holiday Pass
Special Pass
Short-Term Visit Pass with a validity period of at least 60 days

4. What should I take note of on vaccination day?

Bring your ID (NRIC/FIN/Student Pass)
Please turn up on time.
Please wear short sleeved attire, or sleeves loose enough to be rolled up.
If you are unwell, or had fever in the past 24 hours, please do not proceed for your vaccination. You may receive your vaccination after you have recovered.

5. My employees have asked for time off to accompany their child(ren) for their vaccination. Can I request for them to take childcare leave instead?

You are strongly encouraged to give time off to your employees for their children’s vaccination, including any observation post vaccination if the vaccination is done during working hours. For employees who require a longer period away from work, they may take childcare leave or annual leave.

** Information extracted from https://www.moh.gov.sg/covid-19. **