We are well into the second month of the new year, where we’re still binging on Chinese New Year snacks, running around collecting Huat Pals and just going about our mid-pandemic life as usual.
Meanwhile, amidst concerns about its efficacy and safety, the next stage of the vaccine roll-out plan has commenced – it’s now our seniors’ turn.
Nationwide Vaccination Programme For Seniors Has Started
From Monday, 22 Feb, some seniors aged 70 and above started going down to their neighbourhood community centres (CCs) to get their vaccine shot on the first day of a nationwide voluntary vaccination exercise.
Vaccination centres were set up at these CCs, which opened doors at 9 am to welcome hundreds of seniors.
The Bukit Timah, Marine Parade and Taman Jurong CCs officially opened for operations on the day itself, joining 11 other CCs that have started earlier.
This included the Ang Mo Kio and Tanjong Pagar CCs, which were involved in a pilot vaccination exercise for seniors in late January.
You can imagine the long queue outside the polyclinics.
Seniors aged 70 and above started receiving letters over the weekend inviting them to opt in to take the vaccine.
How does the process actually go, then?
Upon arrival at the centres on an appointment basis, seniors were ushered to the registration booths where they declared their medical history as part of a screening to ensure their eligibility to take the vaccine.
Those eligible would then be brought to the dozen or so vaccination counters located inside the CCs sports halls, where nurses or trained medics administered the vaccine.
In the event of medical emergencies, every CC had at least one doctor present to oversee the process and answer questions.
Seniors were then shown to an observation area, where they had to be monitored for about half an hour to see if they had any onset of side effects before they could leave.
Some Seniors Apprehensive, Some Weren’t
Mr Lim Eng Siang, one of the first few residents at Marine Parade CC who took the vaccine, commented that it wasn’t painful and that he wasn’t too concerned about the reports in the news of people experiencing side effects. The process took him about an hour to complete.
“In the old days after the war, the needles were so big and you get knocked out and (your arm) swells for one whole week,” joked Mr Lim, who turns 90 this year.
The grit of our seniors is truly respectable.
Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong, 79, were among those spotted getting his dose of the vaccine at Marine Parade CC.
Other seniors, like Marine Parade resident Ms Ong, showed up at the vaccination centres without an appointment simply to observe the process and ask questions about whether they were eligible to take the vaccine, some having pre-existing medical conditions.
“I’m a little scared to take the jab because of the side effects since I haven’t met anyone who has taken the vaccination. So I’m here to take a look at what the process is like,” Ms Ong said.
Sisters Margaret Goh, 73, and Mary Yong, 74, from the nearby Canossian Convent were also worried about getting adverse side-effects from the jab but felt reassured when medical personnel talked them through the process.
“We trust that the medical system here in Singapore is safe,” said Sister Goh, who’s had people advising her against taking the vaccine.
This follows the Ministry of Health’s statement on 1 Feb that four people have suffered from anaphylaxis, a severe allergic reaction since taking the Pfizer vaccine. Three of them recovered after a day while the other was observed for a few hours.
Studies in the United States also showed that the rate of allergic reactions related to the vaccine occurred at a rate of 11.1 per 1 million vaccinations.
Allergic reactions stemming from flu vaccines occurred at only 1.3 for every 1 million vaccinations.
Despite understanding these concerns, studies from an expert panel on COVID-19 found that the benefits of the vaccine far outweigh the risks, said Dr Tan See Leng, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office.
Dr Tan added that there are many long-term side effects and consequences yet unknown from contracting COVID-19 as well.
“Now that the vaccine is available, and all the studies have shown that it is beneficial, I think we should just get ahead with it and encourage more people to come and get vaccinated,” he said.
Soon, vaccination centres will open up in CCs in every housing town, and every senior will be able to get their dosage by mid-March, said MOH.
It probably won’t be long until the rest of Singapore’s eligible to receive the vaccine too, so here’s hoping all goes well.
Feature Image: Bo1982 / Shutterstock.com
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