Zhi Hao, Author at Goody Feed

To date, over 217,000 individuals in Singapore are believed to have been administered both doses of the Covid-19 vaccine. A promising notion, considering how just weeks and months ago, some people were contemplating whether to boycott the solution in fear of repercussions. Image: Viacheslav Lopatin / Shutterstock.com Though seriously, what is there to fear- "Hey I'm gonna go get my vaccine next week," my colleague Mo Lei Tau asked. "Wanna come with me?" "Oh sorry I'll be busy with work and everything haha, can't make it next week." "How about next month? I can postpone-" "It's fine hahahahaha, in fact I think I'll be sick for the next three months-" "July?" "Reservist." "After that?" "An unplanned trip to the Himalayas." Defeated, he finally moved onto his next target. But anyways where was I? Right, vaccines. So maybe you're as hesitant about it as me. Perhaps you're wary of repercussions that have yet to be unveiled, or repercussions that have been unveiled. But in the face of such tumultuous times, everyone has to play their part in fighting the COVID-19 crisis. And seeing how 217,000 essential workers have bravely gone through the trials of the vaccination process... It's only natural that more will follow suit, what with the education industry set to be the next sector to be granted immunisation. MOE Teachers & Staff to be Offered COVID-19 Vaccine from 10 March Over 150,000 MOE teachers and staff members are set to be offered the COVI-19 vaccine come 10 March 2021. The revelation was announced by the Ministry of Education on Monday (8 March), and is aligned with the Ministry of Health's attempt to extend vaccination to the professions deemed as essential services. "It complements existing efforts to keep our educational institutions safe, as children and the majority of our students are not yet medically eligible for vaccination," said the MOE. Nominees According to the news report, the exercise will cover: All staff members in primary and secondary schools, junior colleges and Millenia Institute, polytechnics, the Institute of Technical Education and special education schools Staff at all MOE-registered kindergartens and pre-schools licensed by the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA). Those situated at early intervention centers, as well as ECDA-affiliated programmes that are catered towards children with developmental needs, will also be offered the vaccine if students happen to be aged six and below Staff of MOE-registered private schools and private education institutions with full-time students below the age of 18, as well as madrasahs Other school-situated individuals who will encounter students on a regular basis, including administrative staff, adjunct staff, school-based and community-based student care centre staff, special student care centre staff, as well as canteen and bookshop vendors The MOE has since stated that it will collaborate with the Ministry of Social and Family Development and ECDA to identify eligible individuals. All identified candidates will be informed via SMS, akin the messaging platform that only Mindef and telcoms use. Appointments can be booked at "any of the vaccination centres, 20 polyclinics, or Public Health Preparedness Clinics operating as vaccination sites". Individuals are also encouraged to go for the exercise. "While Covid-19 vaccination is not mandatory, we strongly encourage all medically eligible individuals to get vaccinated. This is our way of protecting not just those working in the education sector but also our children and students who are not yet medically eligible for vaccination," said the MOE. For the record, the rest of the population may be set to receive their own dosages sooner than expected too. Vaccination Plans According to a statement by MOH on 8 Mar 2021, more than 596,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered. Out of these, 217,000 have completed the full vaccination (received two doses) while another 379,000 are waiting to receive their second dosage. And things are only going to get more heated up from hereon. Previously, it was mentioned that the progress for the elderly aged 70 and above is progressing smoothly, and that vaccination for the elderly in the 60 to 69 years old range will start around end-March. However, because more vaccine supplies have arrived, they’re bringing the schedule forward for this group. All elderly aged 60 to 69 will receive their invitation letters in the next few days, MOH says. The letters will contain a unique booking link the elderly can use to book their appointment for the vaccination. Other than the elderly, MOH has also highlighted a few groups that they’ll extend COVID-19 vaccination to as more COVID-19 vaccine stocks arrive: Other high-risk groups at risk of exposure to COVID-19 Essential personnel in other critical functions such as news reporters, delivery staff, postmen and bank staff For people with multiple touchpoints with many others in the community such as those in the food delivery industry and those who work in hawker centres and markets Educators and staff, starting from pre-school, national schools, ITEs, and polytechnics before moving on to other educational institutes COVID-19 vaccination will also start for migrant workers living in dormitories. The first batch consists of 10,000 workers who live in the five largest dormitories – which were, for the record, never infected with COVID-19. In addition, vaccination will be extended to other segments of the population from April 2021 onwards, and all long-term residents and Singaporeans will get the chance to be vaccinated. Despite Everything Despite this, MOH has highlighted that vaccination is not a silver bullet that can end the pandemic immediately, but it is a key enabler to getting us back to a safer state of affairs. It will complement other existing key enablers – safe management measures, testing and contact tracing – which will continue to be necessary in helping us to mitigate any spread and keep community transmission low. The phrase "life is a marathon, not a sprint" has never hit more accurately than at present. Featured Image: Facebook (Lawrence Wong)