Singapore panel recommends maximum level of COVID-19 vaccine coverage

FILE PHOTO: The first shipment of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine arrives in Singapore December 21, 2020. Mohd Fyrol/Ministry of Communications and Informations via REUTERS

SINGAPORE —An expert committee convened by Singapore’s health ministry has recommended all residents medically eligible for COVID-19 vaccination to take shots as they become available, although it said vaccination should remain a voluntary option.

The recommendation comes as Singapore’s success in controlling the virus makes some question whether they should take the jabs. The city-state has been reporting almost zero new local cases daily over the last few weeks.

The expert committee, convened in October, recommended achieving as high a level of population coverage for COVID-19 vaccination as possible to reduce the overall proportion of the population that is susceptible to the disease and the likelihood of uncontrolled chains of transmission, a statement released on Sunday said.

Singapore has approved the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, the first batch of which arrived on Dec. 21.

It has signed advanced purchase agreements and made early downpayments on several vaccine candidates, including those being developed by Moderna and Sinovac. It expects to have enough vaccines for all 5.7 million people by the third quarter of 2021.

The government has said the vaccines will be free, voluntary and given first to healthcare workers and the elderly.

The country is set to lift more anti-virus curbs from Monday, including allowing groups of eight to congregate in public, up from a limit of five, and increase capacity limits for large gatherings.