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SINGAPORE – Singapore will begin using the Modern COVID-19 vaccine in four new vaccination centers that will begin operating on Wednesday (March 17).
These centers will be located at Hong Kah North Community Club (CC), Marsiling CC, Punggol 21 CC and Radin Mas CC, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said in a press release on Tuesday.
“As more supplies of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine arrive, more vaccination centers will offer the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine,” the Health Ministry said.
Three other new vaccination centers, located in Nanyang CC, Sengkang CC and Arena @ Our Tampines Hub, will also open on Wednesday. They will continue to offer the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine that was the first to be used in Singapore.
These new locations will join the 24 existing centers, along with the 20 Public Health Preparedness Clinics and Polyclinics (PHPC), in offering vaccines to members of the public. The Health Ministry said it expects a total of 40 vaccination centers to be operational across the island by mid-April.
The ministry also noted that each center will only store and administer one type of vaccine.
“People must select the same vaccination center for their first and second appointment, when making the reservation through the national appointment system. As the vaccination capacity of each vaccination center is not the same, the waiting times for the first dose of vaccination will differ between vaccination centers. “, said the Ministry of Health.
Those who cannot secure a vaccination place at the center of their choice are encouraged to check the availability of places at other centers. The Ministry of Health also pointed out that vaccination centers have greater capacity than polyclinics.
Vaccine appointment spaces are currently open to frontline and healthcare workers, as well as those 60 and older. The Health Ministry said the vaccines will be available to more segments of the population starting in April.
As of Monday, Singapore has administered more than 792,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, and more than 549,000 people have received their first dose. Of the latter group, about 243,000 have also received their second dose, thus completing their vaccination schedule.
Since vaccines for seniors began on February 22, more than 175,000 seniors have received their first dose, and about 230,000 seniors will receive their first dose in the next few weeks.
Early vaccination appeals
The Health Ministry said it would consider allowing Singapore citizens and permanent residents with “very exceptional circumstances” to receive their vaccination sooner.
These include those who have an urgent need to travel abroad to pursue formal education or vocational programs, or those who are established abroad for work that cannot be done remotely. Appeals from those who need to travel abroad to visit or care for a seriously ill family member or to seek necessary medical treatment that cannot be obtained in Singapore will also be considered.
“People planning to appeal for early vaccination should take into account the time required to complete the full vaccination cycle in Singapore in their plans,” the Health Ministry said. The ministry added that they should try to fill out the registration form (https://vaccine.gov.sg/appeal) at least eight weeks in advance.
The Health Ministry said it is also working with hospitals to provide earlier vaccinations to patients with complex chronic medical conditions who would be more susceptible to serious complications if infected with COVID-19.
Vaccine Injury Financial Assistance Scheme
The ministry said the Vaccine Injury Financial Assistance Program for COVID-19 vaccination (VIFAP) will be open for applications on Wednesday.
The scheme provides financial assistance to Singaporeans, permanent residents and long-term pass holders suffering from serious side effects from vaccination. It is intended to give peace of mind to those who are still deciding whether to start vaccination.
Those who qualify for VIFAP will receive a one-time payment in the following amounts, depending on the severity of the side effects suffered:
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$ 2,000 for people requiring hospitalization and medical intervention and later recovery
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$ 10,000 for people who require admission to intensive care or high dependency units and subsequently recover
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$ 225,000 for people who die or suffer a permanent serious disability as a result of the COVID-19 vaccine
“VIFAP is not intended to reimburse medical costs. It provides an additional layer of financial support in addition to existing government healthcare financing schemes for incurred medical costs, including government grants, MediShield Life, MediSave and MediFund.” said the Ministry of Health.
More information about VIFAP can be found at www.moh.gov.sg/covid-19/vaccination/vifap
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