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- Thread starter SalahParking
- Start date
OYK seeks your support. 
After two days of debate, Parliament has endorsed the #HealthierSG White Paper. I seek your support as we shape a healthier Singapore together.
Ong Ye Kung
2 d ·After two days of debate, Parliament has endorsed the #HealthierSG White Paper. I seek your support as we shape a healthier Singapore together.
OYK wishes kids Happy Children’s Day.
Let’s fill our children’s lives with good memories that we will cherish forever.
Happy Children’s Day to all!
#OKwithOYK
#draw #art
Ong Ye Kung
1 d ·Let’s fill our children’s lives with good memories that we will cherish forever.
Happy Children’s Day to all!
#OKwithOYK
#draw #art
OYK explains MTF announcement. 
The MTF has just made a few important announcements, including the lifting of VDS from 10 Oct.
This means that vaccination has become our primary defence against the virus.
While the situation remains stable now, new and more dangerous variants may surface in the northern winter.
We need to get ourselves properly vaccinated in anticipation of that scenario. Do so early, rather than try our luck and not strengthen our protection when we have the time and space to.
These are the changes we announced today.
We will transit to a new definition of “up-to-date vaccination”. Instead of counting the number of shots we receive, individuals will be considered up-to-date with their COVID-19 vaccination if they have received:
at least the minimum protection which is 3 mRNA or Novavax/Nuvaxovid doses; or 4 Sinovac-CoronaVac jabs, and
for persons aged 50 and above, beyond minimum protection, an additional dose between 5 months and 1 year from their last vaccine dose. They should take the updated bivalent vaccine, which protects against both the original and Omicron strains. They can walk into any Joint Testing and Vaccination Centre for their shot from 17 Oct
This new up-to-date definition is similar to how we take vaccines for the flu, an endemic disease.
Following this, we will also roll out vaccination for these groups from 25 Oct:
Primary vaccination for children aged 6 months to 4 years;
Booster vaccination for children aged 5 to 11 years;
For the full MTF announcement, go to http://go.gov.sg/moh-mtf-071022
Ong Ye Kung
1 d ·The MTF has just made a few important announcements, including the lifting of VDS from 10 Oct.
This means that vaccination has become our primary defence against the virus.
While the situation remains stable now, new and more dangerous variants may surface in the northern winter.
We need to get ourselves properly vaccinated in anticipation of that scenario. Do so early, rather than try our luck and not strengthen our protection when we have the time and space to.
These are the changes we announced today.
We will transit to a new definition of “up-to-date vaccination”. Instead of counting the number of shots we receive, individuals will be considered up-to-date with their COVID-19 vaccination if they have received:
This new up-to-date definition is similar to how we take vaccines for the flu, an endemic disease.
Following this, we will also roll out vaccination for these groups from 25 Oct:
For the full MTF announcement, go to http://go.gov.sg/moh-mtf-071022
from straitstimes.com:
SINGAPORE - To get the new preventive care strategy Healthier SG off the ground and running, Singapore will spend more than $1 billion over the next three to four years in set-up costs, such as new IT systems and support to get general practitioner (GP) clinics ready for the scheme.
It will also spend an estimated $400 million a year on recurrent costs, such as annual health screenings for residents and the annual service fee for GPs, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung told Parliament on Tuesday.
"We spend about 6 per cent of our healthcare budget on preventive care annually, such as to fund HPB," he said, referring to the Health Promotion Board.
"With Healthier SG in the coming few years, we will, and we want to, grow this – perhaps to double the share of total healthcare spending," he said.
In making these investments, the primary motivation is to reduce the burden of disease and the suffering of people and their loved ones, he added.
Mr Ong was speaking at the start of the debate on the White Paper on Healthier SG, which outlines a major shift in the healthcare system and was published on Sept 21 after six months of consultations with more than 6,000 residents, GPs, employers and others.
Healthier SG seeks to shift the gravity of care from the hospitals to the community.
The aim is to get residents to build a long-term relationship with one family doctor, who will help them to take charge of their own health and wellness.
In his speech, Mr Ong acknowledged that these investments in preventive care will take time to produce results.
Any impact in people's health will not happen immediately, but perhaps be discernible eight or 10 years down the road.
And with an ageing population, reversing the rise in healthcare spending will not be possible. "What we can hope for is to slow down the rate of increase," Mr Ong said.
Singapore's total healthcare spending could rise by up to threefold in the coming 10 years to about $60 billion a year by 2030, from about $22 billion a year at present, he noted.
"If this national medical bill doubles instead of triples in 10 years – we would have saved much more than what we are planning to spend on preventive care," he said.
"At the heart of Healthier SG is a philosophy of how we choose to live our lives. If we put in a small effort every day, a bit of discipline every week, a bit of restraint every week, we can avoid big life-changing suffering later."
Mr Ong said: "We are making a big effort to support you because it is almost human instinct to not do the right thing because of instant gratification."
Under Healthier SG, once residents sign up with a family doctor, the Government will fully fund the annual check-ins with doctors and nationally recommended health screenings and vaccinations for residents.
The screenings will include common chronic conditions such as Type 2 diabetes, hypertension and hyperlipidaemia, as well as for breast, cervical and colorectal cancers.
Those using MediSave to treat chronic illnesses will no longer be required to co-pay 15 per cent of the bill using cash, and can fully use their MediSave. Subsidies for common chronic disease drugs at private GPs will also be enhanced.
For this to happen, the support of family doctors is key.
"GPs will continue to attend to their existing patients and prescribe medication to them. What Healthier SG does is to enlarge their client pool, through enrolment for preventive and chronic care consultations," said Mr Ong.
The GPs will be paid an annual standard fee per enrolled patient, for maintaining a long-term relationship with him or her.
This fee will cover regular doctor consultations, ensuring residents adhere to their health plans, the associated administrative work and a review of the health plan annually – over and above subsidies for health screenings and medication, which are separately funded, added Mr Ong.
The minister said it is not a new concept for GPs, as those who assist the healthcare clusters to manage complex chronic patients get a "Care Plus" service fee payment of $100 per patient.
"Healthier SG will broaden such schemes to cover preventive care for large segments of the population. The fee will be similar or higher than the current Care Plus fee, depending on the health conditions of the enrolled residents," said Mr Ong.
"We estimate that in the coming few years, Healthier SG service fees and revenue from subsidised services can grow as more residents enrol and become a significant component of a GP's annual revenue – maybe a quarter, maybe a third."
A total of 28 MPs had indicated that they plan to speak during the debate on the White Paper.
Among the 18 MPs who spoke on Tuesday, Dr Tan Wu Meng (Jurong GRC) highlighted the need to look into the challenges faced by those who are not digitally savvy and those who are less mobile, and said that holistic care takes time.
Ms He Ting Ru (Sengkang GRC) asked about the support for GPs, including training in handling mental health cases, and if the barriers for foreign-trained Singaporean doctors to come home to practise can be lowered.
S'pore to spend more than $1 billion to get Healthier SG preventive care strategy up and running
SINGAPORE - To get the new preventive care strategy Healthier SG off the ground and running, Singapore will spend more than $1 billion over the next three to four years in set-up costs, such as new IT systems and support to get general practitioner (GP) clinics ready for the scheme.
It will also spend an estimated $400 million a year on recurrent costs, such as annual health screenings for residents and the annual service fee for GPs, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung told Parliament on Tuesday.
"We spend about 6 per cent of our healthcare budget on preventive care annually, such as to fund HPB," he said, referring to the Health Promotion Board.
"With Healthier SG in the coming few years, we will, and we want to, grow this – perhaps to double the share of total healthcare spending," he said.
In making these investments, the primary motivation is to reduce the burden of disease and the suffering of people and their loved ones, he added.
Mr Ong was speaking at the start of the debate on the White Paper on Healthier SG, which outlines a major shift in the healthcare system and was published on Sept 21 after six months of consultations with more than 6,000 residents, GPs, employers and others.
Healthier SG seeks to shift the gravity of care from the hospitals to the community.
The aim is to get residents to build a long-term relationship with one family doctor, who will help them to take charge of their own health and wellness.
In his speech, Mr Ong acknowledged that these investments in preventive care will take time to produce results.
Any impact in people's health will not happen immediately, but perhaps be discernible eight or 10 years down the road.
And with an ageing population, reversing the rise in healthcare spending will not be possible. "What we can hope for is to slow down the rate of increase," Mr Ong said.
Singapore's total healthcare spending could rise by up to threefold in the coming 10 years to about $60 billion a year by 2030, from about $22 billion a year at present, he noted.
"If this national medical bill doubles instead of triples in 10 years – we would have saved much more than what we are planning to spend on preventive care," he said.
"At the heart of Healthier SG is a philosophy of how we choose to live our lives. If we put in a small effort every day, a bit of discipline every week, a bit of restraint every week, we can avoid big life-changing suffering later."
Mr Ong said: "We are making a big effort to support you because it is almost human instinct to not do the right thing because of instant gratification."
Under Healthier SG, once residents sign up with a family doctor, the Government will fully fund the annual check-ins with doctors and nationally recommended health screenings and vaccinations for residents.
The screenings will include common chronic conditions such as Type 2 diabetes, hypertension and hyperlipidaemia, as well as for breast, cervical and colorectal cancers.
Those using MediSave to treat chronic illnesses will no longer be required to co-pay 15 per cent of the bill using cash, and can fully use their MediSave. Subsidies for common chronic disease drugs at private GPs will also be enhanced.
For this to happen, the support of family doctors is key.
"GPs will continue to attend to their existing patients and prescribe medication to them. What Healthier SG does is to enlarge their client pool, through enrolment for preventive and chronic care consultations," said Mr Ong.
The GPs will be paid an annual standard fee per enrolled patient, for maintaining a long-term relationship with him or her.
This fee will cover regular doctor consultations, ensuring residents adhere to their health plans, the associated administrative work and a review of the health plan annually – over and above subsidies for health screenings and medication, which are separately funded, added Mr Ong.
The minister said it is not a new concept for GPs, as those who assist the healthcare clusters to manage complex chronic patients get a "Care Plus" service fee payment of $100 per patient.
"Healthier SG will broaden such schemes to cover preventive care for large segments of the population. The fee will be similar or higher than the current Care Plus fee, depending on the health conditions of the enrolled residents," said Mr Ong.
"We estimate that in the coming few years, Healthier SG service fees and revenue from subsidised services can grow as more residents enrol and become a significant component of a GP's annual revenue – maybe a quarter, maybe a third."
A total of 28 MPs had indicated that they plan to speak during the debate on the White Paper.
Among the 18 MPs who spoke on Tuesday, Dr Tan Wu Meng (Jurong GRC) highlighted the need to look into the challenges faced by those who are not digitally savvy and those who are less mobile, and said that holistic care takes time.
Ms He Ting Ru (Sengkang GRC) asked about the support for GPs, including training in handling mental health cases, and if the barriers for foreign-trained Singaporean doctors to come home to practise can be lowered.
OYK answers a few questions. 
I have received several questions since Friday's MTF announcement. Here are the replies.
Is an infection considered a shot?
Yes, for purposes of achieving minimum protection. So if you have an infection, followed by two mRNA shots, you have minimum protection. But beyond minimum protection, infection is not considered as a substitute for a shot to keep up-to-date with your vaccination.
To keep up-to-date with COVID-19 vaccination, if you are 50 years-old or older and have achieved minimum protection, you should receive an additional dose within 5 months to 1 year of the last vaccine dose.
Where do I go to get the bivalent vaccine? Can I go to a private clinic?
The Moderna/Spikevax bivalent vaccine will be available at our Joint Testing and Vaccination Centres (JTVC).
Persons aged 50 and above, or those yet to achieve minimum protection, may walk into any JTVC offering the Moderna/Spikevax vaccines from 17 October 2022 onwards. You can refer to https://www.gowhere.gov.sg/vaccine to locate the nearest JTVC.
Do note that while VaccineGoWhere website also lists the nearest private clinics administering COVID-19 vaccines, the bivalent vaccine will only be available at JTVCs for now.
Can I skip my second booster and go straight to the bivalent dose?
Yes, you should. We have basically stopped counting boosters. You can just go receive the bivalent vaccine.
How safe is the updated bivalent vaccine?
Clinical studies show it has the same safety profile as the original Moderna/Spikevax mRNA vaccine, which has been administered over 3 million times locally. Serious adverse events (SAE) have been reported in about 6 in 100,000 vaccinations of the original formulation, and all have recovered or are recovering. HSA has also reported a declining rate of SAEs with further shots (i.e. even fewer have adverse reactions after taking boosters compared to taking primary series).
How safe is it to vaccinate young children under 5 years old?
Vaccination for children aged 6 months to 5 years with the Moderna/Spikevax vaccine is safe. Common side effects (such as injection site pain, fatigue, headache) were observed less commonly than in adults and subside within 2-3 days. SAEs are rare, with no cases of anaphylaxis or pericarditis/myocarditis observed in the clinical trial. To date, over a million doses have been administered in the US, with no safety concerns reported.
GOWHERE.GOV.SG
Ong Ye Kung
10 h ·I have received several questions since Friday's MTF announcement. Here are the replies.
Yes, for purposes of achieving minimum protection. So if you have an infection, followed by two mRNA shots, you have minimum protection. But beyond minimum protection, infection is not considered as a substitute for a shot to keep up-to-date with your vaccination.
To keep up-to-date with COVID-19 vaccination, if you are 50 years-old or older and have achieved minimum protection, you should receive an additional dose within 5 months to 1 year of the last vaccine dose.
The Moderna/Spikevax bivalent vaccine will be available at our Joint Testing and Vaccination Centres (JTVC).
Persons aged 50 and above, or those yet to achieve minimum protection, may walk into any JTVC offering the Moderna/Spikevax vaccines from 17 October 2022 onwards. You can refer to https://www.gowhere.gov.sg/vaccine to locate the nearest JTVC.
Do note that while VaccineGoWhere website also lists the nearest private clinics administering COVID-19 vaccines, the bivalent vaccine will only be available at JTVCs for now.
Yes, you should. We have basically stopped counting boosters. You can just go receive the bivalent vaccine.
Clinical studies show it has the same safety profile as the original Moderna/Spikevax mRNA vaccine, which has been administered over 3 million times locally. Serious adverse events (SAE) have been reported in about 6 in 100,000 vaccinations of the original formulation, and all have recovered or are recovering. HSA has also reported a declining rate of SAEs with further shots (i.e. even fewer have adverse reactions after taking boosters compared to taking primary series).
Vaccination for children aged 6 months to 5 years with the Moderna/Spikevax vaccine is safe. Common side effects (such as injection site pain, fatigue, headache) were observed less commonly than in adults and subside within 2-3 days. SAEs are rare, with no cases of anaphylaxis or pericarditis/myocarditis observed in the clinical trial. To date, over a million doses have been administered in the US, with no safety concerns reported.
GOWHERE.GOV.SG
from straitstimes.com:
Health Minister Ong Ye Kung says he hopes TCM will be a part of Singapore's preventive care strategy that will shift the gravity of care from the hospitals to the community. PHOTO: EU YAN SANG
Joyce Teo
Senior Health Correspondent
PUBLISHED
5 OCT 2022, 9:01 PM SGT
FacebookTwitter
SINGAPORE - Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) could be used to bolster one's health and well-being when Singapore's new preventive care strategy Healthier SG rolls out next year.
Health Minister Ong Ye Kung told Parliament on Wednesday that TCM is very strong in preventive care and the Government is looking at how it can complement Healthier SG.
Over the past year, the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the TCM community have established two work groups, to work on issues such as enhancing TCM clinical training and improving career development.
Once their work is completed, it can be the basis of exploring how to involve TCM in support of Healthier SG, Mr Ong said.
Workers' Party chief Pritam Singh (Aljunied GRC) had raised the issue of making TCM a part of Healthier SG and suggested that MediSave be extended to cover more TCM procedures and alternative therapies that have a proven role in managing general health and in preventing chronic diseases.
Mr Singh said MOH should look into the costs of alternative medicine that substantively produces the same clinical outcomes as medicine disbursed by public healthcare institutions.
For example, Fybogel, which is commonly dispensed for constipation, can cost around $20 without subsidies, whereas Psyllium Husk, which confers similar if not identical benefits, can be purchased from Little India and even FairPrice supermarkets for under $3, he said.
Mr Ong said it is not the case that one is a Western medicine product and one is a TCM product. They are similar, and both are dietary supplements, not medicine, he added.
He said he hopes that TCM will be a part of Singapore's preventive care strategy that will shift the gravity of care from hospitals to the community.
But TCM will not and cannot substitute Western medicine, he added.
They are two separate systems, disciplines and know-how. They may intersect and overlap, but one cannot be expected to be like the other, he said.
For example, Western doctors will not likely profess to understand the balancing of the elements of the body over the long term.
"And if you ask a TCM doctor: This patient needs a life-saving urgent operation, can you replace it? He will say: No, go for the operation. Most TCM practitioners will say that too," Mr Ong said.
"So I think they respect each other's space, strengths and weaknesses."
He said he has had several discussions with the incoming chairman of the TCM Practitioners Board, Dr Teo Ho Pin, on TCM matters.
Dr Teo replaces Mrs Yu-Foo Yee Shoon, who will complete her three terms as chairman by the end of February next year.
MOH will look into the possibility of incorporating TCM in Healthier SG: Ong Ye Kung
Health Minister Ong Ye Kung says he hopes TCM will be a part of Singapore's preventive care strategy that will shift the gravity of care from the hospitals to the community. PHOTO: EU YAN SANG
Joyce Teo
Senior Health Correspondent
PUBLISHED
5 OCT 2022, 9:01 PM SGT
FacebookTwitter
SINGAPORE - Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) could be used to bolster one's health and well-being when Singapore's new preventive care strategy Healthier SG rolls out next year.
Health Minister Ong Ye Kung told Parliament on Wednesday that TCM is very strong in preventive care and the Government is looking at how it can complement Healthier SG.
Over the past year, the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the TCM community have established two work groups, to work on issues such as enhancing TCM clinical training and improving career development.
Once their work is completed, it can be the basis of exploring how to involve TCM in support of Healthier SG, Mr Ong said.
Workers' Party chief Pritam Singh (Aljunied GRC) had raised the issue of making TCM a part of Healthier SG and suggested that MediSave be extended to cover more TCM procedures and alternative therapies that have a proven role in managing general health and in preventing chronic diseases.
Mr Singh said MOH should look into the costs of alternative medicine that substantively produces the same clinical outcomes as medicine disbursed by public healthcare institutions.
For example, Fybogel, which is commonly dispensed for constipation, can cost around $20 without subsidies, whereas Psyllium Husk, which confers similar if not identical benefits, can be purchased from Little India and even FairPrice supermarkets for under $3, he said.
Mr Ong said it is not the case that one is a Western medicine product and one is a TCM product. They are similar, and both are dietary supplements, not medicine, he added.
He said he hopes that TCM will be a part of Singapore's preventive care strategy that will shift the gravity of care from hospitals to the community.
But TCM will not and cannot substitute Western medicine, he added.
They are two separate systems, disciplines and know-how. They may intersect and overlap, but one cannot be expected to be like the other, he said.
For example, Western doctors will not likely profess to understand the balancing of the elements of the body over the long term.
"And if you ask a TCM doctor: This patient needs a life-saving urgent operation, can you replace it? He will say: No, go for the operation. Most TCM practitioners will say that too," Mr Ong said.
"So I think they respect each other's space, strengths and weaknesses."
He said he has had several discussions with the incoming chairman of the TCM Practitioners Board, Dr Teo Ho Pin, on TCM matters.
Dr Teo replaces Mrs Yu-Foo Yee Shoon, who will complete her three terms as chairman by the end of February next year.
from straitstimes.com:
While locals will continue to form the bulk of the nursing workforce, the number and role of foreign nurses will grow. ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG
Joyce Teo
Senior Health Correspondent
PUBLISHED
5 OCT 2022, 9:59 PM SGT
FacebookTwitter
SINGAPORE - With the number of elderly Singaporeans on the rise, a system to care for the aged is set to become a critical part of the nation's healthcare landscape.
The new initiative to prevent illnesses and keep the citizens healthy is a move in that direction, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung told Parliament on Wednesday.
"Healthier SG is a key effort to activate and reform the public health system, empower individuals to choose health, and lay the foundation for the aged care system," he said.
One key challenge is to find enough foreign nurses to supplement local ones to care for the elderly.
Mr Ong said nurses, allied health professionals and support care staff are needed to operate hospitals, clinics and also eldercare centres.
"They number 58,000 now and MOH (Ministry of Health) estimates that this will need to grow to 82,000 by 2030," he added.
He also pointed out that by 2030, one in four Singaporeans will be aged 65 and above, up from one in six today.
In his closing speech on the debate on the Healthier SG White Paper in Parliament, Mr Ong underlined the need to prepare for a rapidly ageing population from a healthcare perspective and also the urgency to attract foreign nurses, who are in high demand globally but are also critical in making the aged care system work.
He said Singapore's healthcare system is not one system but three interconnected systems working together to deliver good health.
The first is the acute care system, comprising hospitals and emergency departments, where people were treated when they get very sick.
Then there is the public health system, which includes the control of infectious diseases such as Covid-19, as well as population health, which is being beefed up through Healthier SG.
The third one is the aged care system, which is not just about nursing homes, which continue to be built, but also enabling seniors to age in the community.
"In our Asian culture, we value caring for our seniors at home. Our seniors also prefer to age in a familiar environment. We should not lose this," said Mr Ong.
"As a society, we must guard against the assumption that seniors will always become sick and frail, and unable to take care of themselves."
An estimated 97 per cent of seniors above 65 can either live independently or with some help in the community today.
Mr Ong also alluded to research showing that the health impact of loneliness for a senior is the equivalent of smoking 15 cigarettes a day.
"We must maintain or improve that share, and not inadvertently give them that equivalent of 15 cigarettes a day, and weaken their health and ability to live independently," he said.
But he also pointed out that an expanding aged population needs more healthcare. And since there simply are not enough local nurses available for this, Singapore will have to rely on more foreign nurses.
Replying to several MPs, including Ms Mariam Jaafar (Sembawang) and Mr Dennis Tan (Hougang), who had raised issues on manpower, Mr Ong said there has been no exodus of local nurses, and that efforts are afoot to raise the intake of nursing students locally to 2,300, from 2,100 currently.
While locals will continue to form the bulk of the nursing workforce, the number and role of foreign nurses will grow.
"If we want to take care of our seniors and the sick, if we want to reduce the workload of healthcare workers, we must expect foreign healthcare workers to play a bigger role in the coming years," said Mr Ong.
"This is especially so in areas that are facing a bigger manpower crunch, like aged care or palliative care."
In response to Nominated MP and breast surgeon Tan Yia Swam's suggestion of granting permanent residency to the good performers, given the heightened international competition for nurses, Mr Ong said MOH is supportive of this.
The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority assesses permanent residency applications holistically and will certainly consider the important contributions of healthcare workers, and MOH's support for foreign healthcare workers, when evaluating their applications, he said.
Singaporeans and permanent residents make up about 72 per cent of Singapore's pool of registered nurses and 63 per cent of enrolled nurses. The rest are from the Philippines, Malaysia. China, India, Myanmar and other countries.
Mr Ong said MOH will broaden training for existing nurses, allied health professionals and pharmacists so that they can take on crucial roles alongside doctors.
For example, community nurses will be trained in lifestyle coaching to help residents make good choices according to their care needs, he said.
There are also plans to train community pharmacists, who can already provide smoking cessation and weight management services, in influenza vaccination.
"But first, there must be enough people to train," he said,
Meanwhile, Dr Janil Puthucheary, Senior Minister of State for Health, in his reply to Mr Xie Yao Quan (Jurong) and Ms He Ting Ru (Sengkang), said Singapore is trying to grow its pool of family physicians to meet its target of 3,500 by 2030.
Overall, about 200 overseas-trained Singaporean doctors come back every year, he added.
24k more nurses, healthcare staff needed by 2030 as S'pore ages
While locals will continue to form the bulk of the nursing workforce, the number and role of foreign nurses will grow. ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG
Joyce Teo
Senior Health Correspondent
PUBLISHED
5 OCT 2022, 9:59 PM SGT
FacebookTwitter
SINGAPORE - With the number of elderly Singaporeans on the rise, a system to care for the aged is set to become a critical part of the nation's healthcare landscape.
The new initiative to prevent illnesses and keep the citizens healthy is a move in that direction, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung told Parliament on Wednesday.
"Healthier SG is a key effort to activate and reform the public health system, empower individuals to choose health, and lay the foundation for the aged care system," he said.
One key challenge is to find enough foreign nurses to supplement local ones to care for the elderly.
Mr Ong said nurses, allied health professionals and support care staff are needed to operate hospitals, clinics and also eldercare centres.
"They number 58,000 now and MOH (Ministry of Health) estimates that this will need to grow to 82,000 by 2030," he added.
He also pointed out that by 2030, one in four Singaporeans will be aged 65 and above, up from one in six today.
In his closing speech on the debate on the Healthier SG White Paper in Parliament, Mr Ong underlined the need to prepare for a rapidly ageing population from a healthcare perspective and also the urgency to attract foreign nurses, who are in high demand globally but are also critical in making the aged care system work.
He said Singapore's healthcare system is not one system but three interconnected systems working together to deliver good health.
The first is the acute care system, comprising hospitals and emergency departments, where people were treated when they get very sick.
Then there is the public health system, which includes the control of infectious diseases such as Covid-19, as well as population health, which is being beefed up through Healthier SG.
The third one is the aged care system, which is not just about nursing homes, which continue to be built, but also enabling seniors to age in the community.
"In our Asian culture, we value caring for our seniors at home. Our seniors also prefer to age in a familiar environment. We should not lose this," said Mr Ong.
"As a society, we must guard against the assumption that seniors will always become sick and frail, and unable to take care of themselves."
An estimated 97 per cent of seniors above 65 can either live independently or with some help in the community today.
Mr Ong also alluded to research showing that the health impact of loneliness for a senior is the equivalent of smoking 15 cigarettes a day.
"We must maintain or improve that share, and not inadvertently give them that equivalent of 15 cigarettes a day, and weaken their health and ability to live independently," he said.
But he also pointed out that an expanding aged population needs more healthcare. And since there simply are not enough local nurses available for this, Singapore will have to rely on more foreign nurses.
Replying to several MPs, including Ms Mariam Jaafar (Sembawang) and Mr Dennis Tan (Hougang), who had raised issues on manpower, Mr Ong said there has been no exodus of local nurses, and that efforts are afoot to raise the intake of nursing students locally to 2,300, from 2,100 currently.
While locals will continue to form the bulk of the nursing workforce, the number and role of foreign nurses will grow.
"If we want to take care of our seniors and the sick, if we want to reduce the workload of healthcare workers, we must expect foreign healthcare workers to play a bigger role in the coming years," said Mr Ong.
"This is especially so in areas that are facing a bigger manpower crunch, like aged care or palliative care."
In response to Nominated MP and breast surgeon Tan Yia Swam's suggestion of granting permanent residency to the good performers, given the heightened international competition for nurses, Mr Ong said MOH is supportive of this.
The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority assesses permanent residency applications holistically and will certainly consider the important contributions of healthcare workers, and MOH's support for foreign healthcare workers, when evaluating their applications, he said.
Singaporeans and permanent residents make up about 72 per cent of Singapore's pool of registered nurses and 63 per cent of enrolled nurses. The rest are from the Philippines, Malaysia. China, India, Myanmar and other countries.
Mr Ong said MOH will broaden training for existing nurses, allied health professionals and pharmacists so that they can take on crucial roles alongside doctors.
For example, community nurses will be trained in lifestyle coaching to help residents make good choices according to their care needs, he said.
There are also plans to train community pharmacists, who can already provide smoking cessation and weight management services, in influenza vaccination.
"But first, there must be enough people to train," he said,
Meanwhile, Dr Janil Puthucheary, Senior Minister of State for Health, in his reply to Mr Xie Yao Quan (Jurong) and Ms He Ting Ru (Sengkang), said Singapore is trying to grow its pool of family physicians to meet its target of 3,500 by 2030.
Overall, about 200 overseas-trained Singaporean doctors come back every year, he added.
Ministars received their vaccines. 
Ministry of Health, Singapore is bringing forward the rollout of the bivalent Moderna/Spikevax vaccine by a few days to 14 Oct.
This is because our operations teams were able to complete their preparations earlier, and there are benefits to administering early given infections are rising due to the XBB Omicron subvariant.
There is no evidence showing that XBB causes more severe illness. So please beware of falsehoods that are circulating.
I encourage individuals aged 50 and above, or persons have yet to achieve minimum protection, to take the bivalent vaccine.
Minister Gan Kim Yong and I went to the Commonwealth Joint Testing and Vaccination Centre today to observe the preparations and received our bivalent vaccine shot. It is safe and works better against Omicron in protecting you against severe illness.
Stay up-to-date with your vaccination!
Go to https://www.gowhere.gov.sg/vaccine to locate your nearest JTVC.
Ong Ye Kung
1 h ·Ministry of Health, Singapore is bringing forward the rollout of the bivalent Moderna/Spikevax vaccine by a few days to 14 Oct.
This is because our operations teams were able to complete their preparations earlier, and there are benefits to administering early given infections are rising due to the XBB Omicron subvariant.
There is no evidence showing that XBB causes more severe illness. So please beware of falsehoods that are circulating.
I encourage individuals aged 50 and above, or persons have yet to achieve minimum protection, to take the bivalent vaccine.
Minister Gan Kim Yong and I went to the Commonwealth Joint Testing and Vaccination Centre today to observe the preparations and received our bivalent vaccine shot. It is safe and works better against Omicron in protecting you against severe illness.
Stay up-to-date with your vaccination!
Go to https://www.gowhere.gov.sg/vaccine to locate your nearest JTVC.
from straitstimes.com:
Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said nationally recommended health screenings and vaccinations will be paid for by the Government. ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN
Joyce Teo
Senior Health Correspondent
PUBLISHED
6 OCT 2022, 10:37 PM SGT
FacebookTwitter
SINGAPORE - Singaporeans who sign up to a new national preventive healthcare programme will gain advantages through benefits such as free health screening and the use of MediSave funds to pay for chronic diseases, said Health Minister Ong Ye Kung in a radio interview on Thursday.
Making a pitch for the voluntary programme, which is expected to kick off in the second half of 2023 with those aged 60 and above, he said health screening and vaccinations that are nationally recommended will be paid for by the Government.
Residents who sign up for the Healthier SG initiative will first have to enrol with a primary care doctor, who will develop a health plan and help them manage their care, said Mr Ong in the interview with DJs on radio station One FM 91.3.
"We are asking doctors to set aside capacity for that, so that you have a dedicated doctor-patient relationship with the family doctor," said Mr Ong.
"The doctor may send you for health screenings. That will be free from henceforth," he added.
"You may be sent for vaccinations, nationally recommended ones, namely, influenza, pneumococcal vaccinations, especially for seniors. That will be free."
On Wednesday, Parliament endorsed the White Paper on Healthier SG after a two-day debate.
Mr Ong said one's health plan could include losing some weight, for instance. "Usually, this is not about drug prescription any more. Once you go into preventive healthcare, I'm sure many of you know, you will go into what we call social prescription: your diet, your sleep patterns, your eating habits, your exercise habits, and a doctor should advise you," he said.
"And then we will support the doctor with all kinds of community activities that we're going to organise (and) health screening is critical."
Another important change is that residents on Healthier SG will be able to pay for the care of chronic conditions entirely from their MediSave accounts.
"Some people have chronic diseases like diabetes, so they use their MediSave to manage those diseases. Today, they have to pay 15 per cent cash as co-payment. We always say self-responsibility, we will remove that. So you can use your MediSave fully," said Mr Ong.
Other benefits of the programme include earning points on the Healthy 365 mobile app, which is used for initiatives like the National Steps Challenge.
"When it comes to preventive care, the most important factor is ourselves: what we intend to do differently from before," said Mr Ong, even as he acknowledged the challenges of making changes.
"When I came to MOH (Ministry of Health), then, as I interacted with the folks from the hospitals, from HPB or Health Promotion Board, I found our advice to people to stay healthy is a bit too austere," he said.
"You tell us to be healthy, you cannot eat, no sugar, no salt, everything bland, who would want to lead that kind of life in Singapore, right? So I think it's much better to say we can enjoy our food but in moderation."
"I mean, what's wrong with eating chwee kueh (rice cakes topped with preserved radish) for breakfast, right?" he quipped.
"If you have that in the morning, you can go a bit lighter on the food at lunch, and at night, you can still have your alcohol, like a glass of wine."
Mr Ong said his weakness is watching what he eats but he limits his alcohol to a moderate intake on weekends. He also does pilates or stretching exercises every morning because of a previous back injury.
Asked if Singapore would consider giving mental health days off, he said: "My own sense is that what's more important now is to have flexibility. (Flexible) work arrangements are probably more important because it's always that one hour you need to just run off in the afternoon, get something done for your parents, for the children, or that two hours off, and at night, you work anywhere."
Mental health is an area where the focus should also be more on prevention than on the remedial action, which can be too late sometimes.
"So for mental health, one of the simplest preventive actions is actually not your leave, it's just sleeping enough, letting your brain have a chance to rest and repair itself every night," said Mr Ong.
DJ Glenn Ong asked if Singapore was moving towards the direction of free medical care. In response, Mr Ong said this could not be done.
"Once you make something free, the demand just shoots up and you will get over-prescriptions, you've got people demanding healthcare (when they don't quite need it). Preventive care takes a backseat since curative care is free," he said.
This is why co-payment is always a central feature in the Singapore system, although the Government is now making a small break in its policy for preventive care such as health screenings and vaccinations.
"We make it free because prevention, I think, is important," said Mr Ong.
Government will pay for screenings, vaccinations under Healthier SG: Ong Ye Kung
Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said nationally recommended health screenings and vaccinations will be paid for by the Government. ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN
Joyce Teo
Senior Health Correspondent
PUBLISHED
6 OCT 2022, 10:37 PM SGT
FacebookTwitter
SINGAPORE - Singaporeans who sign up to a new national preventive healthcare programme will gain advantages through benefits such as free health screening and the use of MediSave funds to pay for chronic diseases, said Health Minister Ong Ye Kung in a radio interview on Thursday.
Making a pitch for the voluntary programme, which is expected to kick off in the second half of 2023 with those aged 60 and above, he said health screening and vaccinations that are nationally recommended will be paid for by the Government.
Residents who sign up for the Healthier SG initiative will first have to enrol with a primary care doctor, who will develop a health plan and help them manage their care, said Mr Ong in the interview with DJs on radio station One FM 91.3.
"We are asking doctors to set aside capacity for that, so that you have a dedicated doctor-patient relationship with the family doctor," said Mr Ong.
"The doctor may send you for health screenings. That will be free from henceforth," he added.
"You may be sent for vaccinations, nationally recommended ones, namely, influenza, pneumococcal vaccinations, especially for seniors. That will be free."
On Wednesday, Parliament endorsed the White Paper on Healthier SG after a two-day debate.
Mr Ong said one's health plan could include losing some weight, for instance. "Usually, this is not about drug prescription any more. Once you go into preventive healthcare, I'm sure many of you know, you will go into what we call social prescription: your diet, your sleep patterns, your eating habits, your exercise habits, and a doctor should advise you," he said.
"And then we will support the doctor with all kinds of community activities that we're going to organise (and) health screening is critical."
Another important change is that residents on Healthier SG will be able to pay for the care of chronic conditions entirely from their MediSave accounts.
"Some people have chronic diseases like diabetes, so they use their MediSave to manage those diseases. Today, they have to pay 15 per cent cash as co-payment. We always say self-responsibility, we will remove that. So you can use your MediSave fully," said Mr Ong.
Other benefits of the programme include earning points on the Healthy 365 mobile app, which is used for initiatives like the National Steps Challenge.
"When it comes to preventive care, the most important factor is ourselves: what we intend to do differently from before," said Mr Ong, even as he acknowledged the challenges of making changes.
"When I came to MOH (Ministry of Health), then, as I interacted with the folks from the hospitals, from HPB or Health Promotion Board, I found our advice to people to stay healthy is a bit too austere," he said.
"You tell us to be healthy, you cannot eat, no sugar, no salt, everything bland, who would want to lead that kind of life in Singapore, right? So I think it's much better to say we can enjoy our food but in moderation."
"I mean, what's wrong with eating chwee kueh (rice cakes topped with preserved radish) for breakfast, right?" he quipped.
"If you have that in the morning, you can go a bit lighter on the food at lunch, and at night, you can still have your alcohol, like a glass of wine."
Mr Ong said his weakness is watching what he eats but he limits his alcohol to a moderate intake on weekends. He also does pilates or stretching exercises every morning because of a previous back injury.
Asked if Singapore would consider giving mental health days off, he said: "My own sense is that what's more important now is to have flexibility. (Flexible) work arrangements are probably more important because it's always that one hour you need to just run off in the afternoon, get something done for your parents, for the children, or that two hours off, and at night, you work anywhere."
Mental health is an area where the focus should also be more on prevention than on the remedial action, which can be too late sometimes.
"So for mental health, one of the simplest preventive actions is actually not your leave, it's just sleeping enough, letting your brain have a chance to rest and repair itself every night," said Mr Ong.
DJ Glenn Ong asked if Singapore was moving towards the direction of free medical care. In response, Mr Ong said this could not be done.
"Once you make something free, the demand just shoots up and you will get over-prescriptions, you've got people demanding healthcare (when they don't quite need it). Preventive care takes a backseat since curative care is free," he said.
This is why co-payment is always a central feature in the Singapore system, although the Government is now making a small break in its policy for preventive care such as health screenings and vaccinations.
"We make it free because prevention, I think, is important," said Mr Ong.
from straitstimes.com:
Vaccination-differentiated measures will be fully lifted on Monday. ST PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG
Samuel Devaraj
UPDATED
11 OCT 2022, 6:17 PM SGT
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SINGAPORE - As Singapore prepares to remove Covid-19 restrictions for those who are not fully vaccinated, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung on Sunday appealed to people above 50 to keep up to date with their Covid-19 vaccine shots.
Mr Ong was responding to a question on whether there was any concern that the full lifting of the vaccination-differentiated measures (VDS) on Monday would result in those above 50 not getting their fourth booster shot.
Speaking to the media at a Sembawang Community Club event, he said he does not think that it is in their consideration given that VDS is currently not extensive before making his appeal to people in that age bracket.
“When you are fully vaccinated and up to date, your chances of being infected and leading to a very bad outcome is much lower, much lower. Do it to protect yourself and don’t listen too much to the rumours circulating outside,” he added.
Mr Ong, an MP for Sembawang GRC, said some seniors had asked him about rumours regarding serious reactions caused by vaccines when he spoke to residents at the Sembawang Central Community Garden Gala - One Community Fiesta event.
More than 250 residents attended the event organised by Sembawang Central Grassroots Organisations and the People’s Association Integration Council.
Mr Ong also said Singapore is ready to step up Covid-19 measures when necessary to lower infection rates and protect the unvaccinated.
He added that while such restrictions as the VDS, which was aimed at protecting the unvaccinated in crowded areas, had pushed many to get vaccinated, it is better to step down the VDS as it is now not as extensive.
“Today VDS is very light and in restaurants is pretty much an honesty system with random sporadic enforcement,” said Mr Ong.
"It's not that VDS doesn't work. In its current form, which is light, I think it doesn't work as well. So we might as well step it down with the understanding that we can step up to an appropriate level when we really need it."
The Ministry of Health (MOH) announced on Oct 7 that VDS will no longer be required for events with more than 500 participants, nightlife establishments where there is dancing, and dining at food and beverage establishments, including hawker centres.
Mr Ong said: “Come December, we don’t know what kind of variant will come up or what kind of variant will arrive in Singapore. If it’s something dangerous, we don’t want to be caught off guard.
“So now, while we have the time and the space, get ourselves properly vaccinated with the bivalent vaccines. It is the best protection for us for whatever may come in December.”
The use of the bivalent vaccine to replace the current formulation has been recommended by the Expert Committee on Covid-19 Vaccination, MOH said on Oct 7.
The ministry added that it will replace the original Moderna/Spikevax vaccine with the updated bivalent version from Oct 17, and this will be for all adults aged 18 and above.
Mr Ong also said the Government has been transparent about the reactions caused by vaccines, with the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) publishing the severe adverse reaction incidents every three months.
He added that such cases mostly recover by themselves and that while there are risks to every type of vaccination, this has to be weighed against the cost of remaining unvaccinated.
In a Facebook post on Sunday, Mr Ong said clinical studies show that the bivalent version has the same safety profile as the original Moderna/Spikevax.
“Serious adverse events (SAE) have been reported in about six in 100,000 vaccinations of the original formulation, and all have recovered or are recovering. HSA has also reported a declining rate of SAEs with further shots (that is, even fewer have adverse reactions after taking boosters compared to taking primary series),” he added.
In the post, Mr Ong clarified that while being infected with Covid-19 is considered a shot for the purposes of achieving minimum protection, it is not considered as a substitute for a shot to keep up to date with vaccinations.
To be considered as being up to date, those above 50 need to get an additional vaccine dose within five to 12 months of their last dose above getting the minimum protection of three mRNA or Novavax/Nuvaxovid doses, or four Sinovac-CoronaVac doses.
Those above 50 urged to keep up with vaccine shots as vaccination-differentiated measures are lifted
1 of 3
Vaccination-differentiated measures will be fully lifted on Monday. ST PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG
Samuel Devaraj
UPDATED
11 OCT 2022, 6:17 PM SGT
FacebookTwitter
SINGAPORE - As Singapore prepares to remove Covid-19 restrictions for those who are not fully vaccinated, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung on Sunday appealed to people above 50 to keep up to date with their Covid-19 vaccine shots.
Mr Ong was responding to a question on whether there was any concern that the full lifting of the vaccination-differentiated measures (VDS) on Monday would result in those above 50 not getting their fourth booster shot.
Speaking to the media at a Sembawang Community Club event, he said he does not think that it is in their consideration given that VDS is currently not extensive before making his appeal to people in that age bracket.
“When you are fully vaccinated and up to date, your chances of being infected and leading to a very bad outcome is much lower, much lower. Do it to protect yourself and don’t listen too much to the rumours circulating outside,” he added.
Mr Ong, an MP for Sembawang GRC, said some seniors had asked him about rumours regarding serious reactions caused by vaccines when he spoke to residents at the Sembawang Central Community Garden Gala - One Community Fiesta event.
More than 250 residents attended the event organised by Sembawang Central Grassroots Organisations and the People’s Association Integration Council.
Mr Ong also said Singapore is ready to step up Covid-19 measures when necessary to lower infection rates and protect the unvaccinated.
He added that while such restrictions as the VDS, which was aimed at protecting the unvaccinated in crowded areas, had pushed many to get vaccinated, it is better to step down the VDS as it is now not as extensive.
“Today VDS is very light and in restaurants is pretty much an honesty system with random sporadic enforcement,” said Mr Ong.
"It's not that VDS doesn't work. In its current form, which is light, I think it doesn't work as well. So we might as well step it down with the understanding that we can step up to an appropriate level when we really need it."
The Ministry of Health (MOH) announced on Oct 7 that VDS will no longer be required for events with more than 500 participants, nightlife establishments where there is dancing, and dining at food and beverage establishments, including hawker centres.
Mr Ong said: “Come December, we don’t know what kind of variant will come up or what kind of variant will arrive in Singapore. If it’s something dangerous, we don’t want to be caught off guard.
“So now, while we have the time and the space, get ourselves properly vaccinated with the bivalent vaccines. It is the best protection for us for whatever may come in December.”
The use of the bivalent vaccine to replace the current formulation has been recommended by the Expert Committee on Covid-19 Vaccination, MOH said on Oct 7.
The ministry added that it will replace the original Moderna/Spikevax vaccine with the updated bivalent version from Oct 17, and this will be for all adults aged 18 and above.
Mr Ong also said the Government has been transparent about the reactions caused by vaccines, with the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) publishing the severe adverse reaction incidents every three months.
He added that such cases mostly recover by themselves and that while there are risks to every type of vaccination, this has to be weighed against the cost of remaining unvaccinated.
In a Facebook post on Sunday, Mr Ong said clinical studies show that the bivalent version has the same safety profile as the original Moderna/Spikevax.
“Serious adverse events (SAE) have been reported in about six in 100,000 vaccinations of the original formulation, and all have recovered or are recovering. HSA has also reported a declining rate of SAEs with further shots (that is, even fewer have adverse reactions after taking boosters compared to taking primary series),” he added.
In the post, Mr Ong clarified that while being infected with Covid-19 is considered a shot for the purposes of achieving minimum protection, it is not considered as a substitute for a shot to keep up to date with vaccinations.
To be considered as being up to date, those above 50 need to get an additional vaccine dose within five to 12 months of their last dose above getting the minimum protection of three mRNA or Novavax/Nuvaxovid doses, or four Sinovac-CoronaVac doses.
from straitstimes.com:
Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said there are no plans to charge people here for shots. PHOTO: ST FILE
Zhaki Abdullah
PUBLISHED
10 OCT 2022, 7:19 PM SGT
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SINGAPORE - Although the Republic is moving towards a new Covid-19 vaccination strategy, there are no plans to charge people here for shots, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said on Monday.
Speaking in an interview with Mediacorp's Love 97.2FM, Mr Ong said the authorities are considering placing Covid-19 jabs under the Healthier SG initiative, which will provide people with some free vaccinations, among other benefits.
Mr Ong noted that under the plan - which is expected to kick in from the second half of 2023 - people would not be charged for influenza jabs as they are considered preventative.
"So I think we should also consider whether to get the coronavirus vaccine within this framework," he said.
The Health Ministry said on Oct 7 that Singapore is transitioning to a new strategy of up-to-date vaccination, instead of counting the number of shots and boosters individuals receive.
This is similar to the existing periodic vaccinations against influenza, the ministry said then.
On Monday, the minister also spoke on the bivalent vaccines - which target both the original Sars-CoV-2 strain as well as the Omicron BA.1 variant - describing them as an updated "two-in-one" formula.
MOH said earlier in October that Moderna's original Spikevax vaccine will be replaced by its updated bivalent version from Oct 17, and this will be used for all adults aged 18 and above.
Mr Ong reiterated that the number of boosters one gets is no longer important. People should get at least three doses of an mRNA vaccine in order to get basic protection against Covid-19, which should be followed by a dose of the bivalent vaccine every five to 12 months, he added.
From Oct 17, people aged 50 and above, as well as those who are not fully vaccinated, can go to any of the nine joint testing and vaccination centres providing the Moderna vaccine to receive its bivalent equivalent.
Pfizer's Comirnaty bivalent vaccine is being evaluated and is expected to be available by the end of this year.
The Health Minister also encouraged those eligible to get their jabs ahead of the winter season in the Northern Hemisphere, when new strains of Covid-19 are expected to emerge.
Singapore lifted its remaining vaccination-differentiated safe management measures on Monday.
As such, Covid-19 vaccinations are no longer required for events with more than 500 participants, nightlife establishments with dancing, and dining at eateries.
Mr Ong on Sunday appealed to people above 50 to keep up to date with Covid-19 vaccine shots as such restrictions were lifted.
Singapore mulls over continuing to offer free Covid-19 jabs under Healthier SG: Ong Ye Kung
Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said there are no plans to charge people here for shots. PHOTO: ST FILE
Zhaki Abdullah
PUBLISHED
10 OCT 2022, 7:19 PM SGT
FacebookTwitter
SINGAPORE - Although the Republic is moving towards a new Covid-19 vaccination strategy, there are no plans to charge people here for shots, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said on Monday.
Speaking in an interview with Mediacorp's Love 97.2FM, Mr Ong said the authorities are considering placing Covid-19 jabs under the Healthier SG initiative, which will provide people with some free vaccinations, among other benefits.
Mr Ong noted that under the plan - which is expected to kick in from the second half of 2023 - people would not be charged for influenza jabs as they are considered preventative.
"So I think we should also consider whether to get the coronavirus vaccine within this framework," he said.
The Health Ministry said on Oct 7 that Singapore is transitioning to a new strategy of up-to-date vaccination, instead of counting the number of shots and boosters individuals receive.
This is similar to the existing periodic vaccinations against influenza, the ministry said then.
On Monday, the minister also spoke on the bivalent vaccines - which target both the original Sars-CoV-2 strain as well as the Omicron BA.1 variant - describing them as an updated "two-in-one" formula.
MOH said earlier in October that Moderna's original Spikevax vaccine will be replaced by its updated bivalent version from Oct 17, and this will be used for all adults aged 18 and above.
Mr Ong reiterated that the number of boosters one gets is no longer important. People should get at least three doses of an mRNA vaccine in order to get basic protection against Covid-19, which should be followed by a dose of the bivalent vaccine every five to 12 months, he added.
From Oct 17, people aged 50 and above, as well as those who are not fully vaccinated, can go to any of the nine joint testing and vaccination centres providing the Moderna vaccine to receive its bivalent equivalent.
Pfizer's Comirnaty bivalent vaccine is being evaluated and is expected to be available by the end of this year.
The Health Minister also encouraged those eligible to get their jabs ahead of the winter season in the Northern Hemisphere, when new strains of Covid-19 are expected to emerge.
Singapore lifted its remaining vaccination-differentiated safe management measures on Monday.
As such, Covid-19 vaccinations are no longer required for events with more than 500 participants, nightlife establishments with dancing, and dining at eateries.
Mr Ong on Sunday appealed to people above 50 to keep up to date with Covid-19 vaccine shots as such restrictions were lifted.
from straitstimes.com:
On Monday, 4,719 new Covid-19 infections were reported in Singapore. ST PHOTO: ONG WEE JIN
Ang Qing
PUBLISHED
10 OCT 2022, 10:53 PM SGT
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SINGAPORE - Fifteen out of 100 people here with Covid-19 have been infected previously, and this could amount to another wave if the number of cases climbs in the coming days.
Giving the figures on Monday night, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said the authorities are monitoring whether the nation is experiencing another big wave of Covid-19 cases by looking at reinfection rates.
He said: "As of now, reinfection rate is at about 15 per cent, meaning out of 100 people that are infected, 15 are getting it for the second time.
"If you start to see 50 per cent getting it a second time, you're going to have a wave."
Mr Ong was speaking about his experience tackling the pandemic and the rationale for Covid-19 measures in Singapore at the Yale-NUS College President's Speaker Series of public lectures, which features key global personalities.
The Government's decision to ride through the pandemic by easing quarantine rules in October 2021 was a decisive one, which came as the Delta wave was raging, said Mr Ong at the lecture on Monday, held on campus.
The release of about 40,000 people from quarantine with the simplification of rules at the time was a "turning point" for Singapore, as vaccination rates went up thereafter and a majority of the people here also took responsibility to isolate themselves when needed, he added.
Said Mr Ong: "With every wave, we were able to open up and yet ride through the wave."
More than 4,000 cases were reported on Sunday and this could double to between 9,000 and 10,000 on Tuesday, which is usually the most dreaded day of the week, he said.
There is usually a spike in case numbers on Tuesdays, due to people socialising over the weekend.
Commenting on the current Covid-19 situation, Mr Ong said: "Hospitals will get busier, healthcare workers will come under strain, and we have to support them as much as we can, but we'll have to try our best to ride through this."
On Monday, 4,719 new Covid-19 infections were reported in Singapore.
15 out of 100 Covid-19 cases in S'pore reinfected, may be another wave
On Monday, 4,719 new Covid-19 infections were reported in Singapore. ST PHOTO: ONG WEE JIN
Ang Qing
PUBLISHED
10 OCT 2022, 10:53 PM SGT
FacebookTwitter
SINGAPORE - Fifteen out of 100 people here with Covid-19 have been infected previously, and this could amount to another wave if the number of cases climbs in the coming days.
Giving the figures on Monday night, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said the authorities are monitoring whether the nation is experiencing another big wave of Covid-19 cases by looking at reinfection rates.
He said: "As of now, reinfection rate is at about 15 per cent, meaning out of 100 people that are infected, 15 are getting it for the second time.
"If you start to see 50 per cent getting it a second time, you're going to have a wave."
Mr Ong was speaking about his experience tackling the pandemic and the rationale for Covid-19 measures in Singapore at the Yale-NUS College President's Speaker Series of public lectures, which features key global personalities.
The Government's decision to ride through the pandemic by easing quarantine rules in October 2021 was a decisive one, which came as the Delta wave was raging, said Mr Ong at the lecture on Monday, held on campus.
The release of about 40,000 people from quarantine with the simplification of rules at the time was a "turning point" for Singapore, as vaccination rates went up thereafter and a majority of the people here also took responsibility to isolate themselves when needed, he added.
Said Mr Ong: "With every wave, we were able to open up and yet ride through the wave."
More than 4,000 cases were reported on Sunday and this could double to between 9,000 and 10,000 on Tuesday, which is usually the most dreaded day of the week, he said.
There is usually a spike in case numbers on Tuesdays, due to people socialising over the weekend.
Commenting on the current Covid-19 situation, Mr Ong said: "Hospitals will get busier, healthcare workers will come under strain, and we have to support them as much as we can, but we'll have to try our best to ride through this."
On Monday, 4,719 new Covid-19 infections were reported in Singapore.
OYK briefed the media.
Today I briefed the media on two issues. First, what to expect of the current Covid infection wave? Second, what are we doing to manage it?
First, this is a wave driven by the Omicron XBB subvariant, and contributed by reinfections, which is about 1 in 5 new infections now.
MOH expects that this wave will peak by around mid-November with a 7-day moving average of about 15,000 daily cases.
What is more important is how the cases translate into serious illness that will impact the healthcare system.
This chart compares the 7-day moving average number of local cases to the number of new hospitalisations. It suggests that in this wave, relatively fewer people are hospitalised, compared to previous waves. But we are monitoring closely.
Second, we are practically living with Covid as an endemic disease.
Endemicity does not mean we ignore the virus. We accept it exists, and take the necessary steps to live with it. These include:
Practising good personal and social responsibility, like Protocol 1-2-3
Restricting visits to hospitals and residential care homes to protect our vulnerable
Keeping our vaccinations up-to-date. So if you are 50 and above, consider taking the new bivalent vaccine.
As we continue to monitor the situation, we cannot rule out we may need to reinstate some SMMs if the situation worsens, like requiring the wearing of masks. We must try as much as possible to avoid SMMs that disrupt our normal lives.
Our society will continue to build up even more resilience with each infection wave.
Ong Ye Kung
5 h ·Today I briefed the media on two issues. First, what to expect of the current Covid infection wave? Second, what are we doing to manage it?
MOH expects that this wave will peak by around mid-November with a 7-day moving average of about 15,000 daily cases.
What is more important is how the cases translate into serious illness that will impact the healthcare system.
This chart compares the 7-day moving average number of local cases to the number of new hospitalisations. It suggests that in this wave, relatively fewer people are hospitalised, compared to previous waves. But we are monitoring closely.
Endemicity does not mean we ignore the virus. We accept it exists, and take the necessary steps to live with it. These include:
As we continue to monitor the situation, we cannot rule out we may need to reinstate some SMMs if the situation worsens, like requiring the wearing of masks. We must try as much as possible to avoid SMMs that disrupt our normal lives.
Our society will continue to build up even more resilience with each infection wave.
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