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SINGAPORE : From November 1, parents will be able to use their Medisave to pay for their child's vaccinations against pneumococcal disease. And that is when the jab becomes compulsory for all newborns in Singapore.
All newborns in Singapore are given Hepatitis B shots, one of the first in a series of compulsory vaccinations they will get over the next 12 years under the National Childhood Immunisation Programme.
From November, the list will also include the pneumococcal vaccine, and parents will be able to use their Medisave accounts to pay for it.
Each vaccine shot costs between S$140 and S$180, and three doses are required by the time the child turns two.
There is an annual limit of S$300 for each Medisave account, but parents may also use their Baby Bonus cash gift or the savings in their Child Development Accounts to pay for the shots.
Those who do not have enough in their Medisave can seek special financial assistance at polyclinics.
The Baby Bonus and Child Development Accounts can also be used to pay for catch-up vaccinations for those under five who have not had the shots, and this is recommended by the Health Ministry. Currently only one in five newborns is immunised against the pneumococcal disease, which can lead to pneumonia, meningitis and ear infection.
The disease is caused by a type of common bacteria, Streptococcus pneumoniae.
Pneumococcal disease is considered a major global health problem, with those under the age of two seen as the most vulnerable.
About one million children die from it every year, mostly in developing countries.
And in Singapore, about 70 children under the age of five are admitted to hospital each year due to the disease. Seven have died since 2000. - CNA/ms/ls
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