COVID-19: No concerns if third shot taken earlier than 6 months ― MOH

Singapore ― The Ministry of Health (MOH) confirmed on Tuesday (Sept 28) that taking a Covid-19 vaccine booster shot “slightly earlier” than the stated six months from the second dose indicates “no concerns.”

Last Friday (Sept 24), the Expert Committee on Covid-19 Vaccination recommended that persons aged between 50 and 59 years old should receive a booster dose of a Pandemic Special Access Route (PSAR) mRNA (messenger ribonucleic acid) vaccine from six months after their second dose.

The announcement came after the committee’s recommendation that those aged 60 and above, as well as residents of aged care facilities, should receive a booster dose of a PSAR mRNA, namely Pfizer’s BioNTech or Moderna, vaccine.

“Data from Israel’s nationwide booster vaccination rollout shows that a vaccine booster in persons aged 50-59 years maintains strong protection against Covid-19 without additional safety concerns, similar to that for persons age 60 years and older,” said MOH.

With daily cases rising, the public can expect the transmission to persist as the country transitions to Covid-19 resilience, said MOH.

It noted that those aged between 50 and 59 have a higher risk of severe disease than younger individuals.

“Therefore, persons between 50 and 59 years of age are now also recommended to receive a booster dose of a PSAR mRNA vaccine from six months after their primary vaccine course to maintain a high level of protection against severe disease,” said MOH.

MOH confirmed that it has been sending out text messages to those within the said population group to register for their booster shot from around five months after their second dose.

According to a Today report on Tuesday (Sept 28), MOH had sent out the messages to provide them with “some lead time” to book an appointment.

However, some seniors have expressed confusion about the schedule.

While some seniors have chosen to wait six months, others said they were able to get their booster shot already without issues at the vaccination centre.

One, in particular, received her second dose on Apr 1 and acquired her booster shot on Sept 19, despite her six-month mark being on Oct 1.

On getting the third dose earlier than the recommended time frame, MOH said, “there are no concerns if an individual takes the booster dose slightly earlier than six months.”

The Independent Singapore has reached out to MOH for more information on what “slightly earlier” means in its statement. /TISG

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