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Jalan Besar Community Centre is now a vaccination centre that will start commencing Covid-19 vaccinations for seniors in the community from Monday, Feb. 22.

It opened on Thursday, Feb. 18, and is one of the Covid-19 vaccination centres where residents can go to to get their Covid-19 vaccine shots.

Healthcare workers, frontline staff, and senior citizens will be prioritised for vaccinations.

Covid-19 vaccination for seniors will commence islandwide from Feb. 22, following the successful pilots in Ang Mo Kio and Tanjong Pagar.

As of Feb. 18, about 250,000 individuals have received their first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine.

Among them, more than 110,000 have also received their second dose of the vaccine, completing the full vaccination regimen.

Process of getting vaccinated

After receiving an invitation letter from the Ministry of Health (MOH), you can proceed to make your booking online here.

Making your reservation online is encouraged by MOH to avoid large crowds turning up at vaccination centres.

However, seniors who require assistance with booking their vaccination appointments can bring their invitation letter to any community centre or club from Feb. 19, where staff members will be available to help them.

Here's the entire process of getting vaccinated at a vaccination centre.

Forms are available at the entrance of the vaccination centre for seniors to fill in.

Staff members, made up of volunteers from the People's Association and employees from the Fullerton Health Centre, will be present at all stations throughout to assist seniors who might require help to fill in the forms and get registered.

They will be asked to declare sore throats, fever and any other kind of allergies.

Registration counter

Staff members will be asking the same set of questions two more times at the registration counter and at the vaccination booth to ensure that no health issue is left out.

Vaccination booths

Here's one of the three larger booths available at the Jalan Besar Community Centre to accommodate those who are using wheelchairs.

Observation zone

After receiving your jab, you will be guided to the observation zone where you will be observed for around 30 minutes by the medical professionals present for any potential side effects.

But before you leave, you will go to the last counter of the vaccination centre, where staff members will remind you of your next appointment, and advise you of the potential side effects to look out for in the next two days, and where to seek help.

You will return and repeat the process for your second dose.

Dilution station

In addition, in the process of getting vaccinated, you might see a booth where a nurse is seated.

It's the dilution station where the nurse dilutes the vaccines to be used with a saline solution.

After getting transported to the centre, the vaccines are first stored in the fridge for up to five days.

Once they are taken out, they are placed in a box valve as they are light sensitive. After 30 minutes pass, a nurse will then dilute them according to MOH guidelines. They are then ready to be administered.

Each vial can vaccinate five to six people. Once the process is done, the vaccines can last for six hours when left outside.

Top image by Kayla Wong