Last Updated on 2 years by Publishing Team

12th August 2022

COVID-19 Vaccination Programme for Children Aged 5-11 Years Old

The Ministry of Health and Medical Services is conducting the COVID-19 vaccination campaign for children aged 5-11 years old.

Children aged 5-11 years old require 2 doses of the COVID-19 vaccines. The 2^nd dose will be due 6 weeks after the first dose.

The Ministry of Health and Medical Services will conduct the COVID-19 vaccination programme for children aged 5 to 11 years old at the following venues in the Central Division as per the schedule provided for Friday, 11^th August 2022. The same vaccination venues will also conduct opportunistic vaccination for 12+ and booster doses.

About the programme:

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 vaccination programme for children aged 5-11 years old, the Ministry of Health and Medical Services has conducted school-based vaccination in Central Division. This will resume once the new school term begins.

The Consent Process

Consent of a parent/guardian will be obtained through the Consent Form to allow their child to receive the age-approved COVID-19 vaccination.

The consent process includes:

Onsite consent (consenting at the vaccination site):

This can be provided by a parent or guardian who is physically present with the minor at the vaccine site. The parent or guardian will sign an appropriate vaccine administration Consent Form.

Off-Site consent (consenting when not at the vaccination site):

• A consent form can also be taken home by children to be signed by the parent or guardian
• A letter can also be written/typed and signed by the parent or guardian.
• The acceptance of a letter of consent must be documented by the Vaccination Team and the letter should be retained with the patient record.
• The presence of a support person will be accommodated at all vaccine sites

Things to know following vaccination:

After receiving the COVID-19 vaccination, the child will have to wait for 20-30 minutes before being dismissed from the vaccination site. This is done so that medical staff can monitor that the child does not have any serious allergic reaction following vaccination.

Expected side-effects when at home:

On the arm where the child got injected:

• Pain
• Redness
• Swelling

Throughout the rest of the body:

• Headache
• Chills
• Fatigue
• Vomiting
• Nausea
• Fever

Managing side effects at home:

These side effects are normal signs that their body is building protection and should go away in a few days.    They don’t last long and should not discourage your child from getting their 2nd dose or going about their daily life. If your child has side effects, you can:

• Give paracetamol to relieve the pain
• Ensure that your child gets enough rest and stays hydrated

In case the child shows any other rare or uncommon side effects following vaccination, immediately take them to the nearest hospital/health centre, for a thorough investigation of symptoms and treatment.