COVID-19 Vaccine in Singapore: Find A Clinic Near Home (Or One With Your Preferred Vaccine)

Getting the COVID-19 vaccine in Singapore is now easier than ever. The Government has accelerated the national vaccination programme, with students being the next group of people to be vaccinated against the virus.

For many of us, our encounters with vaccines would have been when we got our childhood ‘BCG’ jabs or before travelling (back when that was allowed, of course). But no fear. Out of the nearly 3.7 million doses given to the population, 157 individuals (or 0.13% of people who had received the jab) had serious reactions, with no deaths reported.

As with most things in Singapore, immunisation efforts have been pretty swift and efficient, with the elderly and not-so-young (age 45 and above), frontline workers in healthcare, aviation and transport, as well as teachers being among the first to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

What’s more exciting, especially for those of us who are itching to travel, is the recent news that those aged 12 to 39 will be invited to book their vaccination slots from 11 June 2021. Of course, travel aside, getting vaccinated is a matter of social responsibility, given the alarming ferocity of this virus, and even more worrying infectious strains spreading around in other countries.

No one wants to be the one responsible for infecting their elderly grandparents, family, friends and co-workers when there’s free vaccination available. You may have heard exaggerated stories of how taking the COVID-19 vaccine will make you sick but clinical trials have been done on thousands of people, just like when new drugs are developed, to ensure people’s safety.

If you are a healthy adult, being vaccinated will benefit those who are unable to take vaccines because they have allergies or are severely immunocompromised. Besides, a headache and tiredness are small prices to pay for reducing your risk of contracting and infecting others with this virus.

Those who are eligible can simply pre-register their interest in the COVID-19 vacine online. The government will also have 40 vaccination centres up and running by end-April, speeding up the process even more. So the question is, what kind of COVID-19 vaccine will you be getting?

It usually takes years for a vaccine to be developed but given the severity and infectious spread of the COVID-19 virus, pharmaceutical companies around the world have been racing to produce vaccines. Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, Sinovac, Sputnik V, Oxford-AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson … these are some of the vaccines making headlines worldwide.

So far, only two vaccines have been approved for use in Singapore: Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna. Although vaccines are not completely foolproof, the approved ones show high efficacy rates – Pfizer-BioNTech has 95% efficacy in preventing COVID-19, while Moderna has 94% efficacy.

The mRNA (messenger ribonucleic acid) in the vaccine is chemically synthesised and does not come from the actual virus, so there is no chance of being infected with COVID-19 or have it interfere with your DNA.

You may have also read that the government has brought in China’s Sinovac vaccine earlier in February. Sinovac works differently from the other two. It uses weakened or inactive virus particles to stimulate the body into producing an immune response to COVID-19. But as of mid-April, it is still under review by the Health Sciences Authority, so there is no need to worry.

If you have a preference for which vaccine you’d like to take – good news! The government has released the list of vaccination centres in Singapore, along with the vaccine type they’re carrying.

Here they are, grouped by region (central, east, north, north east and west). If you don’t have a preference, you can simply head to the one nearest to home.

Given the speed and efficiency of the COVID-19 vaccine programme rollout, booking your vaccination appointment is pretty simple. It’s also free for all Singaporeans as well as residents here, which include PRs and Employment Pass holders.

If you are eligible, you first have to pre-register your interest for vaccination at https://preregister.vaccine.gov.sg.

Once there are appointment slots, you will receive an SMS containing a 10-character code that you can key in to book your actual appointment at https://appointment.vaccine.gov.sg. You have 14 days to book both vaccine slots once you receive the SMS, and can choose from a list of vaccination centres, polyclinics or clinics to go to.

The vaccine has to be taken in two doses, 21 to 28 days later for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, and 28-35 days later for the Moderna vaccine. Both appointments have to be at the same centre.

For those who are unsure if you can take the vaccine, check out MOH’s health advisory.

Don’t forget to bring your NRIC and wear short-sleeved or loose clothes when you head down. Remember to stay hydrated and eat something before you go!

This article was written by Audrey A.. She can’t wait to move into her own place so she can finally get a cat (or two) and an espresso machine to fuel her love for flat whites. For now, she’s saving up and dreaming of her next trip.