Janil Puthucheary on safety measures for administering COVID-19 vaccines

All COVID-19 vaccination providers under the National Vaccination Programme are licensed and regulated by the Ministry of Health (MOH). The ministry also issues regulations stipulating eligibility criteria, administration of the recommended dosage for each vaccine, and how to manage and report any incidents or emergencies. Vaccination providers are expected to make sure their staff, including part-timers or locums, are trained and able to administer the shots. Senior Minister of State for Health Janil Puthucheary said this in Parliament on Monday (Oct 3) in response to MPs’ questions about a recent incident where two adults were each given a full vial of undiluted COVID-19 vaccine by a locum or relief doctor at a clinic in Hougang. Dr Janil said MOH is investigating ProHealth Medical Group over the incident and will take enforcement action if it finds any regulatory breaches. He also revealed that as of Sep 26 this year, out of approximately 16 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines administered in Singapore, there were 11 people affected by overdosing and 119 affected by underdosing. Of these, seven were children aged five to 11 who did not have any adverse reactions. The adults had either no adverse reactions or recovered uneventfully.