Fourth COVID-19 Vaccination Dose

NOTICE PAPER NO. 2342
NOTICE OF QUESTION FOR ORAL ANSWER
FOR THE SITTING OF PARLIAMENT ON 6 NOVEMBER 2023

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament 
Mr Yip Hon Weng
MP for Yio Chu Kang 

Question No. 5346

To ask the Minister for Health (a) what is the current percentage of the population that has received a fourth COVID-19 vaccine dose; and (b) whether there are plans to integrate COVID-19 vaccination into an annual vaccination regimen, akin to the influenza vaccine.

Written Answer

1     Currently, about 80% of our population have achieved minimum protection of at least three doses of COVID-19 mRNA vaccines. For persons aged 60 and above, about half have received an additional dose beyond minimum protection. 

2     The protection from vaccines wane over time.  As COVID-19 has become an endemic disease, it is more important that seniors and medically vulnerable individuals keep their vaccination up to date, i.e. taking a booster around once a year, to reinforce their own protection. 

3     As COVID-19 is a relatively new disease, we will continue to study its disease characteristics and vaccination recommendations, before considering it for the national immunisation schedules which are stable long-term recommendations.