Covid-19 vaccination centres now allow walk-ins without appointments

SINGAPORE — All individuals who want to get their Covid-19 vaccinations and boosters can walk into any vaccination centre from Wednesday (Jan 4).

In addition, from Jan 16, the Pfizer-BioNTech/Comirnaty vaccine will be available to children aged six months to four years at two joint testing and vaccination centres — JTVC Ang Mo Kio and JTVC Bukit Merah, said the Ministry of Health (MOH) on Tuesday.

From Wednesday, eligible individuals of any age group can walk into JTVCs and children vaccination centres from Mondays to Saturdays without the need for an appointment.

On days when there is high demand for vaccinations, particularly Saturdays, a longer waiting period should be expected, said MOH.

Covid-19 vaccinations at polyclinics and Public Health Preparedness Clinics will continue to require an appointment, with the exception of seniors aged 80 and above for polyclinics.

The roll-out of the Pfizer-BioNTech/Comirnaty vaccine for children aged six months to four years comes after the Expert Committee on Covid-19 Vaccination on Dec 6 recommended it for children of this age group as part of their primary vaccination series.

Previously, the committee had recommended the Moderna/Spikevax vaccine for this age group, with the Pfizer vaccine now providing an alternative for younger children.

It said vaccination with the Pfizer-BioNTech/Comirnaty vaccine for children aged six months to four years is safe, and that side effects are comparable to or less common than those observed in older people inoculated with the vaccine.

Parents or guardians should note that the Pfizer-BioNTech/Comirnaty vaccine requires three doses taken eight weeks apart (over a total of 16 weeks), compared with two doses taken over eight weeks for the Moderna/Spikevax vaccine.

This means that for the Pfizer-BioNTech/Comirnaty vaccine, children will require more vaccination visits and a longer period to achieve optimal protection.

Visit https://www.gowhere.gov.sg/vaccine to locate your nearest vaccination site.

Designated vaccination sites for children aged 6 months to 4 years

ALSO READ: What are bivalent vaccines? Do I need a second booster? Here's what you need to know about Singapore's new Covid-19 vaccination strategy

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.