Covid-19: Public able to bring forward date of second vaccine dose

• TODAY spoke to three people getting the Moderna vaccine and one getting Pfizer-BioNTech
• All four had managed to bring the date of their second dose forward by about two weeks
• Some people TODAY spoke to said that they realised they could make the change by chance
• MOH announced on Tuesday night that from Wednesday, the minimum interval between the first and second doses of the vaccine will be shortened
• Instead of six to eight weeks, the interval will now be four weeks for both the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines

SINGAPORE — Several people who had made bookings for the second dose of the Covid-19 vaccine have managed to bring the date forward, TODAY’s checks have shown. The Government last Thursday (June 24) said that it was looking to shorten the interval between doses.

TODAY on Tuesday spoke to four people who have received their first dose and they required at first to wait six to eight weeks to receive their second dose, but have now been able to bring it forward by about two weeks.

Three of them are being vaccinated with Moderna vaccines, while the other is getting a Pfizer-BioNTech jab.

In a statement on Tuesday night, the Ministry of Health said that from Wednesday, the minimum interval between the first and second doses of the vaccine will be shortened. Instead of six to eight weeks, the interval will now be four weeks for both the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines. 

“This will ensure that more of our population can now be fully vaccinated earlier,” it said.

Those who have already received their first doses, and with second dose appointments currently scheduled six to eight weeks later, can also rebook and bring forward their second dose appointments to four weeks from their first dose appointment.

Last week, MOH said that the Government would review shortening the interval between doses.

Explaining this move, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung stressed the need to protect as many people as possible and that it “will not make sense” to have people continue to wait between six and eight weeks until August, or beyond, for their second doses.

Some of those who changed the date of their second jab said that they realised they could do so purely by chance, while others said that they heard about it through word of mouth.

One user on Reddit online site posted about a successful rebooking of his second dose on Tuesday, urging others to do the same.

Undergraduate Yeo Jong Han, 25, told TODAY that he had read a news report that the Government was almost doubling the vaccine doses they could administer every day and so he was waiting for a chance to rebook his slot.

A friend then informed him via a Telegram chat group that he could do so, Mr Yeo said. Mr Yeo's second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was originally slated for Aug 3. It has been brought forward to July 23. He received his first dose on June 22.

“I decided to bring it forward because the more people get vaccinated, the more quickly life will return to a semblance of normal and the less chances of disruptions like heightened alerts happening again. Also, it’s better to be protected sooner for the sake of my friends and family.

“The Government is doing all it can to encourage vaccinations and I feel that following its recommendations is the responsible thing to do as a citizen,” he said.

Fresh graduate Zaky Askari, 24, was also able to bring forward the date of his second dose of the Moderna vaccine from July 25 to July 13. He received his first dose on June 13.

He was informed by his friend that he could take his second jab earlier.

“I’d rather get fully vaccinated as soon as possible than wait even though there's some news that you can form more antibodies with a longer interval between the two doses.

“I think, ultimately, it's about getting the vaccine numbers up and making sure that we get herd immunity as soon as possible,” he said.

Ms Esther Teo, 34, who took her first dose of a Moderna vaccine on June 14, was able to bring forward her second dose by two weeks — from July 26 to July 12 — after receiving a phone text message from a friend.

“Since I’ve already decided to take the vaccine, it’s just better to get it over and done with. Just get the full two doses and be fully protected,” Ms Teo who works in the public sector said.

She has also relayed the message to quite a few of her friends and has seen on her Instagram feed that many people have been saying that they are rebooking their vaccination dates.

Ms Kimberley Lim, 26, who works in the tech industry, found out about the opportunity to rebook by chance.

“I’ve been wanting to push it forward so I’ve been checking the link that is sent in SMS by phone to book the first dose. I just wanted to get it over and done with quicker,” Ms Lim said.

She received her first Moderna dose on June 13 and was scheduled to get her second dose on July 29. She has brought it forward to July 15.