| | What are the COVID-19 vaccines recommended for children? |
| A: | Children aged 6 months and above who have not been vaccinated against COVID-19 are recommended to receive two initial vaccine doses at an interval of eight weeks apart. Thereafter, they should receive any additional doses being offered or recommended to them based on prevailing recommendations.
They can receive one of the following vaccines:
| | Vaccine | Age | | 1 | Pfizer-BioNTech/Comirnaty | 6 months and above | | 2 | Moderna/Spikevax | 6 months and above | | 3 | Novavax/Nuvaxovid* | 12 years and above |
* The Novavax/Nuvaxovid vaccine is currently unavailable under the National Vaccination Programme (NVP)^. Novavax is in the process of filing for regulatory approval for its updated COVID-19 XBB.1.5 vaccine formulation.
^Under the NVP, vaccination is free for all Singaporean Citizens, Permanent Resident, Long-Term Pass Holders and certain Short Term Pass holders. |
| | Are there any children who shouldn’t get vaccinated?
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| A: | There is no category of children or teens who absolutely shouldn’t get the vaccine, unless they have a known allergy to other vaccines or one of the vaccine’s components.
People with weakened immune systems, either from illness or medication, may still receive the vaccine because it isn’t a live vaccine i.e. a vaccine that uses a weakened form of a germ to prompt an immune response.
There have been reports of allergic reactions to the vaccine, but these occurrences are very rare.
Children at higher risk of anaphylaxis are monitored for 30 minutes after any dose of COVID-19 vaccine. This includes those who had a past history of: a) Allergic reactions (that is, immediate hypersensitivity reactions) to other COVID-19 vaccines, OR b) Any anaphylaxis If your child has any medical condition that is not stable or is getting worse, he or she should postpone the vaccination until the medical condition is better controlled.
If your child has cancer and is on active chemotherapy, you should consult your child’s cancer specialist to discuss if or when your child can be vaccinated.
Parents are always encouraged to speak with their teen’s or child’s doctor/pediatrician if they have any questions or concerns.
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| | Could my child/ward use different types of vaccine?
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| A: | For children aged 6 months and above, the two initial doses of vaccines should be from the same brand. They should not use different vaccine brands for these doses. After completing the two initial doses described above, they may then receive the 2023/2024 additional dose of the updated vaccine at an interval of around 1 year (minimally 5 months) after their last dose based on prevailing recommendations. | | Vaccine | Age | | 1 | Pfizer-BioNTech/Comirnaty | 6 months and above | | 2 | Moderna/Spikevax | 6 months and above | | 3 | Novavax/Nuvaxovid* | 12 years and above |
*The Novavax/Nuvaxovid vaccine is currently unavailable under the National Vaccination Programme. Novavax is in the process of filing for regulatory approval for its updated COVID-19 XBB.1.5 vaccine formulation. |
| | Will my child/ward still receive the Pfizer-BioNTech/Comirnaty or Moderna/Spikevax vaccine if he/she turns 5 years on the day of their first dose?
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| A: | Children who turn 5 years on the day of their first dose will receive the Pfizer-BioNTech/Comirnaty vaccine for children aged between 5 to 11 years or the Moderna/Spikevax vaccine for children aged between 6 months to 5 years.
Those who received the Pfizer-BioNTech/Comirnaty vaccine when they were below 5 years will continue to receive the same vaccine and dosage for their subsequent doses, even if they have turned 5 years between any of the vaccine doses. |
| | The Pfizer-BioNTech/Comirnaty’s dosage for persons aged 5 to 11 years is higher than the dosage for persons aged 6 months to 4 years. What dosage will my child/ward receive if he/she turns 5 years between his vaccine doses?
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A:
| Those who received the dosage for persons aged 6 months to 4 years for their first Pfizer-BioNTech/Comirnaty dose can continue to receive the same dosage for their second dose, even if they have turned 5 years between the vaccine doses.
Alternatively, the child can also receive a dosage corresponding to his/her age when the vaccine dose is received.
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| | The Pfizer-BioNTech/Comirnaty’s dosage for persons aged 12 years and above is higher than the dosage for persons aged 5 to 11 years. What dosage will my child/ward receive if he/she turns 12 years between his vaccine doses?
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| A: | Those who received the dosage for persons aged 5 to 11 years for their first dose can continue to receive the same dosage for their second dose, even if they have turned 12 years between the first and second vaccine doses.
Alternatively, the child can also receive a dosage corresponding to his/her age when the vaccine dose is received. |
| | If my child/ward was infected with COVID-19 is he/she recommended to continue with COVID-19 vaccination? If so, when should he/she take the vaccine?
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| A: | Children aged 6 months and above should complete two initial vaccine doses, regardless of previous COVID-19 infection. Thereafter, they should receive any additional doses being offered or recommended to them based on prevailing recommendations.
Persons who are infected and due for vaccination may receive the vaccination from 28 days after the infection, although they are recommended to do so three months from the infection for better effectiveness.
*The Novavax/Nuvaxovid vaccine is currently unavailable under the National Vaccination Programme. Novavax is in the process of filing for regulatory approval for its updated COVID-19 XBB.1.5 vaccine formulation. |
| | What is the recommended interval between doses in children below 12 years old?
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| A: | For children aged 6 months and above, the recommended interval between the two initial doses of COVID-19 vaccine is eight weeks. |
| | Can my child/ward choose to take the vaccination later?
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| A: | We encourage all medically eligible children to take up the vaccine when offered to them. COVID-19 can result in severe disease, even in children without pre-existing medical conditions. Vaccination have been shown to substantially reduce the likelihood of severe disease when one is infected.
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