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Over 400,000 students from schools and Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) will progressively receive Covid-19 vaccination shots, as part of the national vaccination exercise rolled out by the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Ministry of Education (MOE).

Eligible students can expect to receive their invitation to sign up for their vaccination from June 1. 

The earliest vaccination slots available are from June 3, Education Minister Chan Chun Sing said at a press conference on Monday, May 31.

MOE added that the invitations will likely be sent out within two weeks, while the entire vaccination exercise will probably finish by the end of August.

PfizerBioNTech and Moderna vaccines approved for different age ranges

According to a press release issued by MOE on May 31, the Heath Sciences Authority (HSA) has approved the use of the PfizerBioNTech Covid-19 vaccine for use in individuals aged 12 to 15.

MOE further said that based on HSA’s approval of the medical suitability of the vaccines, individuals below the age of 18 will only be offered the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine, while individuals aged 18 and above can opt for either vaccine.

This is because studies and data have shown that the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine and the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine are "effective and safe" for individuals aged 12 and above, and aged 18 and above respectively, MOE added.

MOE also advised all medically eligible individuals to consider getting vaccinated when vaccination is offered to them.

Graduating cohorts first to receive invitations to be vaccinated

The group to be prioritised first is the graduating cohorts at the secondary schools and Pre-University levels, and in particular, students sitting for the GCE N-, O-, or A-Level examinations (or equivalent qualifications) in the second-half of 2021.

This is arranged so that these students can have "greater flexibility in scheduling their vaccination appointments in view of their upcoming national examinations", MOE said.

Over the next two weeks, similar invitations will be progressively extended to other groups of full-time students in schools and IHLs, including the Privately-Funded Schools, Madrasahs and Special Education (SPED) schools.

MOE added at a technical briefing held on May 31 that they will be prioritising all full-time students for the exercise, which include full-time Master's and PhD students, regardless of their age. Students who take Master's on a part-time basis will not be included.

This is due to a "risk" issue, as a full-time student will be on campus more often in a normal situation, although some classes are now conducted online.

Where to go for vaccinations

Vaccination for medically eligible students will be conducted in the community vaccination centres.

In addition, there will be four dedicated MOE vaccination centres, of which three will be at ITE College campuses, jointly set up by MOE and the Health Promotion Board (HPB), and one at Raffles City Convention Centre from June 7.

ITE students will receive their jabs on-campus, since all three ITE campuses will have MOE vaccination centres.

Also, to facilitate access for students in Special Education (SPED) schools who may find it challenging to visit a vaccination site, MOH will deploy mobile vaccination teams to the schools to carry out vaccinations for all SPED students aged 12 and above.

The SPED schools will share the registration instructions and guidelines with students and their parents or guardians, MOE said.

Students & parents encouraged to book appointments once they receive their invitations

MOE added that students or their parents/guardians (for students under 18 years old) will receive SMSes with unique links for them to book vaccination appointments at any of the vaccination centres.

They are encouraged to book their vaccination appointments once the SMS invitation is received to secure a desired timeslot and location.

While the main vaccination exercise for most students will be through the National Appointment System, MOE said they will consider having schools look into alternative arrangements for students who require additional support for the vaccination when school reopens, such as by facilitating transport arrangements to the vaccination centres.

Parental consent needed for students below 18

Parental or guardian consent will be required for students below the age of 18 as part of the booking process for the vaccination appointment slots via the National Appointment System, MOE added.

Consent given via the National Appointment System will be collected once, and apply for both doses of the Covid-19 vaccine.

Parents or guardians of students aged 13 and above are not required to accompany their child or ward to the vaccination site, while parent or guardian accompaniment is only required for children aged 12 and children in SPED schools.

Older siblings are not allowed to accompany younger siblings under the age of 13, their parent must be present.

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Top image by Singapore Polytechnic/Facebook