As parents, our child’s health is the most important of all. One of the best ways to prevent them from falling into serious illness throughout this pandemic was to ensure they completed their Covid-19 vaccination.
Recently, the Multi-Ministry Taskforce has announced an update in their recommendations for Covid-19 boosters for children. We speak with Dr Tan Choon Yean, one of our anchor doctors, on the key updates of this recommendation.
The booster is recommended for children aged 5 – 11 years old.
The updated recommendation from our Ministry of Health (MOH) encourages children aged 5 – 11 years old to do their first booster shot, with the Pfizer-BioNTech/Comirnaty vaccine. Before scheduling your child’s booster, do take note of when they had first been vaccinated. “There should be 5 months in between your child’s primary vaccination and their booster shot appointment,” says Dr Choon Yean.
The Covid-19 booster will help to extend your little one’s immunity and protect them against serious symptoms even if they do fall ill. The booster dose will sustain protection against severe illness and strengthen Singapore’s preparation for the next infection wave.
The vaccination exercise will start towards the end of the year.
While the dates for when the booster will be available for children have not been announced, MOH has shared that it would likely begin in the last quarter of the year. Specifically, the booster exercise will probably begin after examinations in primary schools are over, possibly to minimise any disruptions to the school calendar.
There will be five dedicated vaccination centres set up for this vaccination exercise to cater for the demand and ensure that our children can be vaccinated in a timely manner.
Your child may experience mild side effects after their booster.
For parents who are worried about the safety of the booster, HSA has assessed the data and studies show that the booster is safe for children aged 5 and above.
Even so, it’s possible that your child may feel some side effects after their shot. “Their side effects would probably be similar to the same kind that they had felt, when they did their primary vaccination,” says Dr Choon Yean. “Similar to that, their side effects should subside within a few days.”
The key to bouncing back quickly is ensuring that your little one gets adequate rest. “Encourage them to sleep earlier after their vaccination and minimise any plans for physical activity until after they feel better,” suggests Dr Choon Yean.
Most importantly, if they are still feeling unwell — or if anything seems amiss — seek medical support as soon as possible. The doctor would be able to advise you if there’s any cause for alarm and also prescribe your child medication that can help them feel better faster.
You don’t even have to visit a clinic (or trouble your little one to leave the house) to get quality care. Connect with a doctor within minutes on the DA app and receive medication delivered to your home, in a few hours.
