Appointment bookings to receive Nuvaxovid COVID-19 vaccine open: MOH

SINGAPORE: People aged 18 and above who are eligible to receive the Nuvaxovid COVID-19 vaccine can start making appointment bookings from Friday (May 13), said the Ministry of Health (MOH).

Vaccinations will begin on May 18 at the 20 participating Public Health Preparedness Clinics, while the vaccine will be available at the Joint Testing and Vaccination Centre (JTVC) in Bishan from May 24.

Novavax’s Nuvaxovid COVID-19 vaccine was given interim authorisation in February for use in Singapore as part of the national vaccination programme. It is the fourth vaccine available under the Pandemic Special Access Route (PSAR), after the ones by Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and Sinovac.

It will be available to individuals who have not taken their primary doses or booster shots. However, the Health Ministry noted that mRNA vaccines “remain the preferred vaccines due to their higher efficacy and the stronger immune response generated”.

“Those who are medically ineligible to receive the mRNA vaccines should consider the Nuvaxovid vaccine,” said MOH.

“Under the National Vaccination Programme, the Sinovac-Coronvac vaccine will only be made available as a booster to persons who are medically ineligible to receive the mRNA vaccines and Nuvaxovid.”

Those receiving the Nuvaxovid vaccine for their primary vaccination series are recommended to get two doses at least 21 days apart. Those receiving it for their first or second booster dose are recommended to do so about five months after their last dose, said MOH.

Nuvaxovid is a protein-based vaccine engineered from the genetic sequence of the first strain of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

The vaccine was found to be about 90 per cent effective at preventing symptomatic COVID-19 and 100 per cent effective in preventing severe infection in trials. 

JOINT TESTING AND VACCINATION CENTRES TO OPEN

As of May 12, 92 per cent of Singapore’s population have completed their primary vaccination series, while 75 per cent have received their booster doses.

“With good vaccination coverage and the majority of our total population well-protected, we will be progressively stepping down the number of vaccination centres from end-May 2022, as previously announced on Apr 22,” said MOH.

The first tranche of five Joint Testing and Vaccination Centres will open on May 24, as part of efforts to ensure that COVID-19 testing and vaccination services “remain accessible to the general public”, it added.

"These centres are designed with the ability to scale up operations in the event of an emerging variant of concern in future."

Another five centres will open progressively across the island from end-June.

“To enable the medical service providers to better manage vaccine preparation and reduce any unnecessary wastage, the public is strongly encouraged to book an appointment via the National Appointment System before proceeding to the JTVCs,” said MOH.

The centres are as follows:  

To be considered medically ineligible for COVID-19 vaccination in Singapore, individuals need to be medically ineligible to receive mRNA, Nuvaxovid and Sinovac-CoronaVac COVID-19 vaccines.

Such individuals are exempted from vaccination-differentiated safe management measures.