Vaccinations begin for Home Team's frontline healthcare officers
SINGAPORE — The COVID-19 vaccination exercise for Home Team officers involved in frontline healthcare operations began on Monday (11 January), with 80 officers receiving their first dose.
A total of about 1,050 officers will progressively be vaccinated over the coming weeks, said the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in a news release.
These personnel include Singapore Civil Defence Force’s (SCDF) Emergency Medical Services (EMS) officers, staff from the Home Team Medical Services Division, and officers from the Singapore Prison Service’s medical services division. Frontline officers from the Home Team Science and Technology Agency, who run laboratory tests on travellers’ swab samples, will also be vaccinated.
The ministry said 1,123 Home Team officers were identified for the first phase of the vaccination operation and 94 per cent agreed to be vaccinated.
Officers were screened for their eligibility for the COVID-19 vaccine based on their medical history and pre-existing medical conditions. MHA added that those with medical conditions “of concern” would be reviewed by Home Team medical officers before being vaccinated.
All the officers will be monitored for 30 minutes after the vaccination to watch for any adverse medical reactions, after which they will be schedule for their second dose in about three weeks. The entire vaccination exercise is expected to be completed in six weeks.
“The vaccine gives me the assurance and peace of mind in safely carrying out my frontline responder duties as a paramedic in the SCDF... Taking the vaccine is not just for my personal safety, but also for the safety of the patients, my co-workers and my loved ones,” said Warrant Officer 1 Mohamed Shafiee Jamin, an SCDF paramedic from Kallang Fire Station.
“My wife is also an SCDF paramedic and she will be receiving the vaccine later today,” he added.
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