Do I have to pay for the Covid-19 vaccine when it becomes part of the national immunisation schedule?

Will eligible Singapore residents have to pay for a Covid-19 vaccine after it joins the national immunisation schedules?

Eligible Singapore residents will not have to pay for Covid-19 vaccination when it enters the National Childhood Immunisation Schedule and National Adult Immunisation Schedule. The change keeps vaccination accessible for long-term protection as the virus continues circulating.

Free vaccination applies to Singapore citizens, permanent residents, long-term pass holders and certain short-term pass holders. This policy has continued since 2020, when the vaccine was offered through the National Vaccination Programme. The national schedules also make recommended vaccines available through subsidies and programmes such as Healthier SG and Medisave.

Vaccination is optional, not mandatory. Covid-19 vaccines are strongly recommended for medically vulnerable children, seniors, care home residents, healthcare workers and people living or working with vulnerable individuals. Updated doses are available at more than 600 GP clinics, all polyclinics and mobile vaccination sites.

What are the National Childhood Immunisation Schedule and National Adult Immunisation Schedule?

The National Childhood Immunisation Schedule, or NCIS, lists vaccines intended for children. The National Adult Immunisation Schedule, or NAIS, lists vaccines recommended for adults. Together, they provide a regular national framework for protecting Singapore residents against vaccine-preventable diseases.

The schedules cover many diseases. The childhood schedule includes vaccines against tuberculosis, hepatitis B, tetanus, pertussis, polio, chickenpox, pneumococcal disease, human papillomavirus and influenza, among others. The adult schedule includes vaccines against influenza, pneumococcal disease, shingles, hepatitis B, chickenpox and human papillomavirus. Covid-19 is now included in both schedules.

The schedules are not generally compulsory. Only measles and diphtheria vaccines are compulsory under the NCIS. Their wider purpose is prevention, reducing complications and deaths, and helping residents find vaccines that are accessible and affordable through national subsidies and programmes.

Who is especially encouraged to receive the Covid-19 vaccine, and is vaccination compulsory?

Covid-19 vaccination is especially encouraged for medically vulnerable children aged six months and older, seniors aged 60 and above, and residents of aged care facilities. Healthcare workers are also encouraged to receive it. So are people who live or work with medically vulnerable individuals, because vaccination can help protect those around them.

The recommendation reflects the groups identified as needing stronger protection from the virus. A vulnerable child aged six months, an older adult, or a care home resident may be prioritised for vaccination. A healthcare worker or household member can also contribute to protection around vulnerable people by getting vaccinated.

The vaccine is not compulsory. Like most vaccines in the NCIS and NAIS, it is recommended but optional. The article identifies only measles and diphtheria vaccination as compulsory under the childhood schedule. Covid-19 vaccination is therefore encouraged through access and advice, rather than legal requirement.

How many places will offer the updated Covid-19 vaccines, and how many doses are usually needed?

Updated Covid-19 vaccines will be available at more than 600 general practitioner clinics, all polyclinics and mobile vaccination sites. This broad network gives eligible residents several ways to access vaccination, including appointments at participating clinics and polyclinics.

People receiving Covid-19 vaccination for the first time need two doses eight weeks apart if they are aged six months to four years. Anyone aged five or older needs one dose for the initial vaccination. People aged six months and above who have already been vaccinated should receive an additional dose around a year after their earlier vaccination, and at least five months after their last dose.

Clinic appointments can be booked through vaccine.gov.sg, while polyclinic appointments can be booked through HealthHub. The schedule supports continuing protection rather than a one-time campaign. It also keeps vaccination available as Covid-19 remains endemic and continues circulating in the community.

What changes when the Covid-19 vaccine moves from the temporary National Vaccination Programme into the regular national schedules?

Covid-19 vaccination moves from the National Vaccination Programme, created for the acute phase of the pandemic, into the regular National Childhood and Adult Immunisation Schedules. This signals a shift from emergency response to long-term management of a virus that has become endemic and continues circulating in the community.

The practical effect is continued access through the national schedules. Eligible Singapore citizens, permanent residents, long-term pass holders and certain short-term pass holders can still receive the vaccine for free. Updated vaccines are offered at more than 600 GP clinics, all polyclinics and mobile sites, with appointments available through the stated booking channels.

The move is intended to keep vaccination accessible and affordable over the long term. It does not make vaccination compulsory. Instead, Covid-19 vaccines remain recommended, particularly for vulnerable children, seniors, care home residents, healthcare workers and people around medically vulnerable individuals.

Why do countries create national immunisation schedules, and how are the recommended vaccines chosen?

Countries create national immunisation schedules to prevent and control diseases, reduce complications and deaths, and organise vaccination over time. Singapore’s schedules also educate the public about important vaccines. They help people find vaccines that are accessible and affordable through national subsidies and programmes such as Healthier SG and Medisave.

Recommended vaccines are selected using science and global guidelines, including guidance from the World Health Organisation. Singapore then adapts those recommendations to local disease patterns, healthcare needs and population data. This means the schedules are shaped by both international evidence and conditions in Singapore.

The approach also allows the country to update protection as health risks change. Covid-19’s addition reflects its status as an endemic virus that continues circulating in the community. Moving it into the standard schedules keeps vaccination available beyond the acute pandemic response and supports long-term disease prevention.

How do vaccines help control diseases that continue to circulate in a population, even when vaccination is recommended rather than compulsory?

Vaccines help control diseases by preparing people’s immune systems to respond to infection. When vaccination is widely recommended, fewer people are left vulnerable, which can reduce illness and limit the disease’s impact. The article identifies disease prevention and control, along with reducing complications and deaths, as key purposes of national schedules.

Covid-19 vaccination illustrates this approach. It is recommended for vulnerable children, seniors, care home residents and healthcare workers. People who live or work with medically vulnerable individuals are also encouraged to vaccinate. Protecting these groups and the people around them supports broader protection, even though most vaccination is optional.

The virus has become endemic and continues circulating in the community, so vaccination is treated as regular protection rather than a one-time campaign. Keeping vaccines free and available through more than 600 GP clinics, polyclinics and mobile sites makes ongoing prevention more practical.

Key Facts:

📌 Covid-19 vaccines remain free for eligible Singapore residents.

📌 Vaccination is recommended but not compulsory.

📌 Free access has continued since 2020.

📌 NCIS covers childhood vaccinations; NAIS covers adult vaccinations.

📌 Covid-19 vaccines are now included in both schedules.

📌 Only measles and diphtheria vaccines are compulsory under NCIS.

📌 Seniors aged 60 and above are especially encouraged to vaccinate.