An expert committee convened by Singapore’s health ministry has recommended all residents medically eligible for Covid-19 vaccination to take shots as they become available, although it said vaccination should remain a voluntary option, Reuters reports.

The recommendation comes as Singapore’s success in controlling the virus makes some question whether they should take the jabs. The city-state has been reporting almost zero new local cases daily over the last few weeks.

The expert committee, convened in October, recommended achieving as high a level of population coverage for Covid-19 vaccination as possible to reduce the overall proportion of the population that is susceptible to the disease and the likelihood of uncontrolled chains of transmission, a statement released on Sunday said.

Singapore has approved the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine, the first batch of which arrived on Dec 21. It has signed advanced purchase agreements and made early down payments on several vaccine candidates, including those being developed by Moderna and Sinovac. It expects to have enough vaccines for all 5.7 million people by the third quarter of 2021.

The government has said the vaccines will be free, voluntary and given first to healthcare workers and the elderly.

Opinion

Editorial

Holding the line
16 Mar, 2026

Holding the line

PAKISTAN’S long battle against polio has recently produced encouraging signs. Data from the national eradication...
Power self-reliance
Updated 16 Mar, 2026

Power self-reliance

PAKISTAN’S transition to domestic sources of electricity is a welcome development for a country that has long been...
Looking for safety
16 Mar, 2026

Looking for safety

AS the Middle East conflict enters its third week, the war’s most enduring victims are not those who wage it....
Battling hate
Updated 15 Mar, 2026

Battling hate

In the current scenario, geopolitical conflict, racial prejudice and religious bigotry all contribute to the threats Muslims face.
TB drugs shortage
15 Mar, 2026

TB drugs shortage

‘CRIMINAL negligence’ is the phrase that jumps to mind when one considers the disturbing consequences of the...
Chinese diplomacy
Updated 14 Mar, 2026

Chinese diplomacy

THERE are signs that China is taking a more active role in trying to resolve the issue of cross-border terrorism...