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SINGAPORE – Each of the 24 cities here will have a community vaccination center by the end of March, capable of delivering 2,000 vaccines a day, as the nation ramps up its Covid-19 vaccination campaign.
This will ensure that when more vaccines arrive, they can be quickly distributed to the population, particularly the elderly, explained Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing on Tuesday (January 26) during a visit to the community vaccination center in Tanjong Pagar Community Club. (DC).
The site, along with Teck Ghee CC in Ang Mo Kio, is part of the first two facilities of its kind that have been established to serve residents aged 70 and over, in the first phase of the nationwide vaccination campaign. .
Facilities differ slightly from existing vaccination centers to better serve the elderly, with features like larger booths to accommodate wheelchairs and chairs with armrests.
“Our goal is that by the end of March we have a community vaccination center in each town … and if we need to expand it faster because vaccines arrive faster, we will make sure we have the vaccination capacity.” “said Mr. Chan, who is also an MP for the Tanjong Pagar GRC.
“Our goal is to develop vaccination capacity before the arrival of vaccines, so that vaccination capacity is not the limitation or the bottleneck.”
Once additional vaccines arrive, letters will be sent so that people can reserve their spaces at any of the centers that are open.
Chan, who is also vice president of the People’s Association (AP), said the vaccination acceptance rate has been “quite encouraging” in Tanjong Pagar CC, with some 300 reservations made by older residents in the first two days.
He hopes more people will step up to get their injections as they learn more about the vaccination campaign and the effects and safety of vaccines.
“As people become more confident in the process, I think the acceptance rate will progressively increase … so we have to keep monitoring this and then make fine adjustments to the capacity at the respective vaccination centers,” he said.
Chan said the CCs were chosen as vaccination centers as they provide the elderly with a sense of familiarity, with previous initiatives such as the distribution of masks and TraceTogether tokens also taking place there.
You will receive your own vaccine on Wednesday morning at Tanjong Pagar CC.
Each community vaccination center will be able to administer 2,000 vaccines a day, from 8 am to 10 pm. But that can be adjusted based on the number of cabs configured.
Operations at other vaccination facilities, such as Changi Airport Terminal 4, showed that it takes about five minutes per injection, and planning for community vaccination centers was done on that basis.
The Palestinian Authority has mobilized more than 600 volunteers for vaccination operations in Tanjong Pagar CC and Teck Ghee CC.
Chan said the vaccine implementation process is not as straightforward as launching initiatives like the Pioneer Generation and Merdeka Generation packages due to the medical aspect.
“We try to allay the concerns of the older people who (the volunteers) contact first. For the more serious questions related to medicine, we will have doctors available to provide the information,” he said.
“This is very important because if we can answer the elders’ questions in advance earlier, then it is more reassuring for them to schedule the appointment.”
Chan added that they don’t want to waste any vaccines, so the supply is made based on appointments made at a particular location on a given day.
Raffles Medical Group Lead Physician Tan Joo Peng, 38, said the shelf life of vaccines is five days when kept between two and eight degrees Celsius.
The common side effect seen in the first 30 minutes after a person has received a needle stick is pain in the arms. If they develop rashes, headaches, or dizziness, they will be taken to an infirmary for treatment.
Mr. Radahakrishnan Menon, who is the Deputy Chairman of the Senior Citizens Executive Committee of Tanjong Pagar CC, is one of the volunteers who reaches out to senior residents about vaccinations. Most agree, he said.
However, some wait until after the Chinese New Year before taking the jab, as they don’t want to risk getting sick during the festive period due to side effects.
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