Table 4 COVID-19 vaccine policies of Singapore

Basic vaccination

plan

1. Phase I vaccination: vaccination of people aged 16 years and older at high risk of infection and those vulnerable to serious illness after infection starting December 30, 2020;

2. Phase II vaccination: vaccination of older adults, essential services workers, and those at high risk of infection beginning March 8, 2021;

3. Phase III vaccination: vaccination of persons aged 45 to 59 years starting in April 2021;

4. Phase IV vaccination: vaccination of people aged 40 to 44 years starting May 19, 2021;

5. Phase V vaccination: vaccination of Singapore citizens aged 12 to 39 years starting June 10, 2021;

6. Phase VI vaccination: vaccination for the severely immunocompromised on 28 July 2021;

7. Phase VII vaccination: vaccination open to selected short-term pass holders from 18 August 2021;

8. Phase VIII vaccination: other than the above phases

Vaccine procurement and supply

1. May 2020, the Government began discussions with pharmaceutical companies with promising vaccine candidates, having signed pre-purchase agreements with Moderna, Pfizer-BioNTech and Sinovac, and is discussing collaboration with several other pharmaceutical companies;

2. December 21, 2020, Singapore received its first shipment of vaccine from Pfizer-BioNTech;

3. on May 18, 2021, the HSA approved the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for use in people aged 12 to 15 years, and the COVID-19 Vaccination Expert

Committee approved the extended use of Pfizer-BIONTECH COVID-19 vaccine in people aged 12 to 15 years and the extended dosing interval for MRNA vaccine;

4. June 16, 2021, 24 private healthcare facilities selected to administer government stockpiles of SINOVAC-CORONAVAC COVID-19 vaccine;

5. December 10,2021, MOH has signed a new supply agreement with Pfizer-BioNTech for COVID-19 vaccine;

6. December22, 2021, the first PFIZER-BIONTECH/COMIRNATY COVID-19 vaccine paediatric doses arrived in Singapore;

7. February 14,2022, NOVAVAX NUVAXOVID COVID-19 vaccine approved for use in the national vaccination programme;

8. May 4, 2022, the first doses of NUVAXOVID COVID-19 vaccine arrived in Singapore

Vaccine development

1. March 2020, Vertex Pharmaceuticals, a Singaporean biopharmaceutical company, initiated a Vero COVID-19 vaccine development program in Singapore;

2. July 2020, the VeroCOVID-19 vaccine was tested in clinical trials in Singapore and the results showed that the vaccine was effective in preventing the COVID-19 virus, and Vertex Pharmaceuticals began an aggressive global rollout of the vaccine;

3. Mar 2021, Phase I and Phase II clinical trials of the COVID-19 vaccine "ARCT-021", developed in collaboration with the Duke-NUS Medical School and the US pharmaceutical company Arcturus Therapeutics, have been completed. The results showed that participants developed antibodies against coronary artery disease and no serious adverse reactions were observed

Vaccination of minors

1. Pediatric vaccinations for children 5–11 years of age starting March 16, 2022;

2. Initial vaccination with Moderna/Spikevax vaccine for children 6 months to 4 years of age starting October 25, 2022; booster doses of Pfizer-BioNTech/Comirnaty vaccine for children 5 to 11 years of age

Vaccination booster

First booster dose:

1. An additional dose of vaccine for persons aged 60 years and older, residents of elderly care facilities, and persons who are moderately to severely immunocompromised beginning September 15, 2021;

2. A booster program for persons aged 50 to 59 years was initiated on October 3, 2021 in addition to persons aged 60 years and older;

3. booster vaccination for health care workers and health care and frontline COVID-19 workers who completed the primary series vaccination program

approximately six months ago, initiated October 9, 2021

4. booster vaccination for all Singaporeans aged 30 and above, permanent residents and long-term pass holders who completed the second dose six months ago from 1 November 2021;

5. Extension of booster vaccination to all individuals aged 18 to 29 years from 14 December 2021;

6. Expansion of the booster vaccination program to those aged 12 to 17 years in early February 2022;

7. One booster dose recommended for individuals 5 to 11 years of age beginning August 24, 2022;

Second booster dose:

1. A second booster dose for people aged 80 years and older and the physically vulnerable from 24 March 2022

2. Vaccination booster for all 12 years and older starting April 22, 2022;

Second booster for those 60–79 years of age starting April 22, 2022

Corona 19 bivalent vaccination booster:

1. Bivalent vaccination for those 50 years and older or those not yet minimally protected from October 17, 2022;

2. Bivalent vaccine will be offered to health care workers on October 21, 2022;

3. Bivalent Pfizer-BIONTECH/COMIRNATY vaccination beginning December 12, 2022: All adults 18 years of age and older receive COVID-19 vaccine in a timely manner; those 12 to 17 years of age should also receive an additional dose of bivalent vaccine approximately five months after the last booster dose

Vaccination Incentives

None

Compulsory vaccination

None

Supporting Policies

1. Ensuring the safety of migrant workers on December 14, 2020: pilot program to begin in the first quarter of 2021 to allow migrant workers access to the community once a month, subject to compliance with RRT, wearing a contact tracking token and safe living measures;

2. Enhanced safety management measures and surveillance testing on January 22, 2021: postponement of the National Student Games scheduled for February will be effective January 26, 2021; individuals to limit their visits to a maximum of two additional households per day and limit the maximum number of visitors per household per day to outdoor social gatherings; disallow singing (including diners) and other live performances at food service establishments and work-related events; encourage and other live performances at food service establishments and work-related events; encouraging everyone to connect with family and friends digitally; and increasing enforcement inspections of food service establishments, shopping malls, and other crowded public places;

3. Close monitoring of the safety of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in the population by the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) beginning January 2021, and targeting the Vaccine Injury Financial Assistance Program;

4. August 30, 2021 MOH to pilot home isolation, a model of care for fully vaccinated patients with COVID-19 who are not severely symptomatic

5. September 14, 2021 Addition of community care facilities, adjustment of home quarantine policy, and update of electronic quarantine order (eqo), effective September 14, 2021