FAQs - Post-vaccination Matters

Are there any side effects? What should I do if I suffer from any side effects?

The vaccine has been assessed to be safe for use. However, you may experience common side effects, similar to other vaccines. Most side effects are mild or moderate, and usually get better within a few days. The table below lists some common side effects that have been reported with this vaccine, and how to manage them.

See a doctor if:
• The side effects persist or get worse
• The fever persists for more than 48 hours (2 days)
• Respiratory symptoms such as cough, runny nose, sore throat, shortness of breath or loss of sense of taste and smell develop
• Heart or chest symptoms such as chest pain, shortness of breath or abnormal heart beats develop.

In very rare cases, this vaccine can cause a severe allergic reaction. Signs of a severe allergic reaction include difficulty breathing, swelling of your face, throat, eyes or lips, a fast heartbeat, dizziness and weakness, a bad rash all over your body.  If you experience a severe allergic reaction, seek medical attention immediately. Call 995 or go to the nearest A&E immediately.

How long do we have to observe and report the side effects from the vaccine? Which side effect takes the longest to manifest?

Most side effects will resolve within 3 days. Though uncommon, lymphadenopathy (lymph node swelling) can be vaccine-related and takes around 7 to 10 days to resolve.

Would there be post-vaccination monitoring in place, e.g. will some staff and residents continually be tested for COVID-19 virus antibodies, to determine durability of the vaccination response?

What happens if I develop an allergic reaction to my first dose?

You should seek medical attention, if you experience a possible allergic reaction to the first dose (e.g. eye or lip swelling, hives, generalised skin rashes, breathlessness).  Fever, chills, muscle pain, headaches, injection site pain are not allergic reactions.

You should discuss your suitability for COVID-19 vaccination with your doctor. Persons with an allergic reaction assessed to be caused by the vaccine and who are advised that they should not take the subsequent dose of the vaccine, should cancel the appointment for it.

Nevertheless, persons who had developed the following skin reactions to a previous dose of the mRNA-based vaccine may be able to receive a subsequent dose of the same vaccine:

a.     Non-severe skin reactions occurring more than four hours after vaccination without other symptoms
b.     Non-specific skin symptoms such as itching without a rash, a red patch beyond the injection site or eczema
c.      Flares of underlying skin condition such as psoriasis and eczema

Medical personnel at the vaccination sites will also assess the suitability of individuals to receive the vaccination before they are vaccinated.

Persons who are unable to complete the full two-dose regime of the mRNA vaccines, due to valid medical reasons, should receive the Novavax/Nuvaxovid vaccine. The Sinovac-CoronaVac vaccine should only be considered for use in persons who are medically ineligible to receive mRNA vaccines and the Novavax/Nuvaxovid vaccine.

Who can get their overseas COVID-19 vaccination records ingested into the National Immunisation Registry (NIR) and what must they do?

A: 

All individuals who have been vaccinated overseas with any vaccines approved under the WHO Emergency Use Listing (EUL), including booster shots, can get their overseas vaccination records ingested into the National Immunisation Registry (NIR). This includes Singaporean Citizens (SC), Singapore Permanent Residents (PR), Long-Term Pass Holders (LTPH) (e.g. Long-Term Visitor Pass, Work Permit, Employment Pass, S Pass, Dependent Pass, Student Pass) and Short-Term Pass Holders (STPH). For STPHs, this would only be relevant to those who intend to stay in Singapore for more than 30 days. You may call ahead to any clinic to check if they provide such services. You can also refer to phpc.gov.sg for a listing of clinics who may provide such services; please call ahead to check. The full cost of the service will be borne by the individual.

If their overseas vaccination documents are not in English, they will need to get the documents translated by a translation service provider, notary public or embassy of the country that issued the document. Both the original overseas vaccination document and translated document must be brought along when visiting a private healthcare provider in Singapore for serology testing.

After arriving in Singapore, the individual will need to visit a healthcare provider who will do the following:

1. Review the individual’s overseas vaccination documentation - either the original hard copy vaccination certificate or digital vaccination certificate (with translated document where applicable).

2. Perform a serology test. If you have a digitally verifiable vaccination
certificate, you may not need to take a serology test. Instead, the healthcare provider will scan your certificate to verify its authenticity. (See subsequent questions for details).

3. Update the individual’s overseas COVID-19 vaccination record(s) to NIR as long as the individual has overseas COVID-19 vaccination documentation, and whose serology test result is positive or whose vaccination certificate has been digitally verified.

4. Individuals will see their vaccinations status on TraceTogether or HealthHub app within 24 hours after clinic has notified NIR of their overseas COVID-19 vaccination records.

Holders of the following types of certificates may be exempted from serology testing for their vaccinations to be recognised. However, you must still visit a healthcare provider for your vaccination records to be ingested in the NIR. The healthcare provider will scan your certificate to verify its authenticity

• [Multiple countries] EU Digital COVID Certificate (EU DCC)

• [Australia] International COVID-19 Vaccination Certificate

• [Bahrain] COVID-19 Vaccination Certificate

• [Bangladesh] COVID-19 Vaccination Certificate from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare

• [Brunei] COVID-19 Vaccination Certificate on the BruHealth app

• [Cambodia] COVID-19 Vaccination Certificate from the Kingdom of Cambodia

• [Canada] Smart Health Card (SHC)

• [Mainland China] International Travel Health Certificate

• [Fiji] COVID-19 Vaccination Certificate

• [Hong Kong] COVID-19 Vaccination Record from Department of Health

• [India] Co-WIN International Travel Certificate

• [Indonesia] International COVID-19 Vaccination Certificate from the PeduliLindungi app

• [Japan] Vaccination Certificate of COVID-19

• [Republic of Korea] COVID-19 Vaccination Certificate from Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency

• [Malaysia] Digital Certificate for COVID-19 Vaccination from the MySejahtera app

• [Maldives] COVID-19 Digital Certification from the Health Protection Agency Maldives

• [Philippines] COVID-19 Vaccination Certificate from Department of Health

• [Qatar] COVID-19 Vaccination Certificate from Ministry of Public Health

• [Saudi Arabia] COVID-19 Vaccination Certificate from Tawakkalna app

• [United States] SMART Health Card (SHC) or CDC Vaccination Card
  

What type of COVID-19 serology testing is required?

 A:

The serology test used should detect antibodies generated in response to the vaccine. As most COVID-19 vaccines are based on the spike (S) protein of the SAR-CoV-2 virus, a serology test that detects anti-S antibodies should generally be used. An anti-N (nucleocapsid) serology test may be used for persons vaccinated with inactivated virus vaccines (e.g. Sinovac, Sinopharm, and Covaxin). There is no need to distinguish between IgG and IgM, and a qualitative assay of total antibodies can be used.

You have completed your primary vaccination series and are considered fully vaccinated. From 1 June 2022*, you will need to receive the booster dose within 9 months of your last primary vaccination dose, in order to maintain your vaccinated status. You may visit a healthcare provider for your serology test to ingest your records into the NIR.

If you received a dose of a non-inactivated virus vaccine (i.e. vaccines except Sinovac, Sinopharm, and Covaxin), you will need to take an anti-N serology test to confirm your past infection in addition to an anti-S serology test to confirm your vaccination.

If you received a dose of an inactivated virus vaccine, an anti-N serology test would be unable to ascertain your past infection. You should provide documentary evidence of your past infection to the doctor (e.g. PCR test result, profesionally-administered ART result, discharge memo).

*Prevailing vaccination-differentiated safe management measures (VDS) provisions for persons who have recovered from COVID-19 apply. Please refer to https://file.go.gov.sg/vdsmminfo.pdf for more information.

* The polyclinics do not provide serology testing for verification of overseas vaccination.

Why is serology testing required before overseas COVID-19 vaccination records of SCs/PRs/LTPHs can be accepted into Singapore’s IT systems?

 A:

The serology test is an additional means, on top of vaccination documentation, to confirm that a person has undergone effective vaccination.

[Updated 11 May] I have taken 2 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech/Comirnaty, Moderna/Spikevax, Novavax/Nuvaxovid or Sinovac-CoronaVac vaccines overseas. These vaccines are approved by Singapore. Why do I still need to do serology test?

 A:

Serology testing provides a means for MOH / HPB to verify your vaccination status prior to data ingestion.

Will the results of serology testing done overseas be accepted in Singapore?

A: 

No, serology testing needs to be done in Singapore.

Will serology testing be required for those who have received partial or complete COVID-19 vaccination overseas?

 A:

The serology test requirement would apply across board to those who have received either partial or complete COVID-19 vaccination overseas, including booster shots.

How soon can an individual know his / her serology test result?

 A:

This will depend on the clinic and the laboratory running the test. You can ask the clinic when you can expect the result.

What should an individual do if he/she receives a negative serology test result?

 A:

A negative serology result implies that the individual’s overseas vaccination was not effective and may not protect from COVID-19 infection. You may wish to re-take your vaccination in Singapore if you are eligible. For more details, please click here, or call the MOH COVID-19 Vaccination Hotline at 6995 9199.

Is it safe for an individual to re-take the COVID-19 vaccination if the serology test result is negative?

 A:

There are no known safety issues with re-taking the COVID-19 vaccination. However, some may experience more noticeable side effects such as injection site pain, muscle aches and fever.

Can an individual take a different brand of COVID-19 vaccine if he / she needs to re-take the vaccination?

 A:

Such individuals should complete a vaccine series with a vaccine under the National Vaccination Programme. The vaccine series need not be of the same brand as that reported to have been taken previously.

Does an individual need to pay for the vaccination if he /she needs to re-take the vaccination?

 A:

Under the National Vaccination Programme, COVID-19 vaccination is free for all Singaporeans and long-term residents in Singapore.

Can Singapore residents who were vaccinated here request for a serology test at GP clinics to confirm that their vaccination was effective? Why not?

A:

There is no need to request for serology testing after receiving their COVID-19 vaccination locally, as serology testing is not required to verify your vaccination status.

This is required for them to maintain their fully vaccinated status. Individuals who have recovered from a COVID-19 infection and completed their primary vaccination series are recommended to receive a booster vaccination. This includes individuals such as,

• Those who have completed their primary vaccination when they were infected with COVID-19
• Those who received a valid dose of an mRNA or Nuvaxovid vaccine or, two valid doses of a Sinovac-CoronaVac^ after they were infected with COVID-19

From 1 Jun 2022*, they will need to receive the booster dose within 270 days of their last primary vaccination dose, in order to maintain their vaccinated status.

^Recommendations for Sinovac-CoronaVac should similarly apply to Sinopharm

For recommended COVID-19 vaccination for recovered persons, please go to Booster Doses FAQs page.

They should receive their booster vaccination* to maintain the fully vaccinated status beyond the 270 days.

The recommendation for persons aged 80 years and above, or living in aged care facilities, or belonging to medically vulnerable groups to receive a second booster dose will not affect their vaccination status for VDS.

If your vaccination status is not accurately reflected, you may raise your query at https://go.gov.sg/vds-query-form.

*Based on the Expert Committee on COVID-19 Vaccination recommendations, the booster vaccination should be received at around five months after the last dose in their primary vaccination series (or three months for those who received the Sinovac-CoronaVac or Sinopharm vaccine as their third vaccine dose as part of a three-dose primary vaccination series).

Persons who have completed their primary vaccination series and received a WHO EUL vaccine at least 90 days from their last dose of a complete primary vaccination series would be considered boosted, and will retain their fully vaccinated status.

If you took a WHO-EUL vaccine overseas and tested serology positive, your medical provider will submit the details of your overseas vaccination data into NIR and your vaccination records/status can be viewed on the HealthHub (HH) and TraceTogether (TT) apps within 2 days.

If your vaccination status is reflected as "Not Vaccinated" or "In Progress" or "Waiting to take effect", it may be due to the following reasons:

• You have not completed all doses of the vaccination.
• The interval between your vaccination doses is outside of the recommended minimal interval for the vaccine. Please refer to www.vaccine.gov.sg for more information on the recommended interval between doses.
• It has been less than 14 days since you received the final dose of the vaccine. The vaccine will only fully take effect 14 days after your last dose. For avoidance of doubt, Day 0 is taken as the day of the final dose of the vaccination and Day 14 is taken as the day the vaccination is effective.
  

To check if your vaccination status is accurately reflected, please visit https://go.gov.sg/vds-query-form.

It may be due to the following reasons:

• You have not completed all doses of the vaccination.
• The interval between your vaccination doses is outside of the recommended minimal interval for the vaccine.
• The result of your serology test conducted in the local private clinics providing the service is negative.
• The local private clinic providing the service is waiting for your serology test result.
• Your local serology result is positive, and pending submission of your vaccination data into NIR by your medical provider. Once submitted, it should be reflected as “Vaccinated” within 24 hours.
• You have taken an additional dose in Singapore and it has been less than 14 days since you received it. The vaccine will only fully take effect 14 days after your additional dose. For avoidance of doubt, Day 0 is taken as the day of the final dose of the vaccination and Day 14 is taken as the day the vaccination is effective.

Alternatively, you may visit https://go.gov.sg/vds-query-form to check if your vaccination status is accurately reflected.

You may obtain a Vaccination HealthCert from the Notarise website as airlines or foreign authorities may request that you show a digitally verifiable proof of vaccination. The QR codes on your Vaccination HealthCert can be scanned to digitally verify that the certificate is secure and has not been tampered with.

Please check the requirements of your destination before you travel, such as the proof of vaccination and type/format of proof required.