Chijioke Iremeka
The Singaporean Ministry of Health says it is closely tracking the recent rise in COVID-19 infections in the country as estimated cases in week 5 to May 11, 2024, rose to 25,900 from 13,700 cases in the previous week.
The Ministry revealed that the average daily COVID-19 hospitalisations also rose to about 250 from 181 recorded the week before, saying that the average daily Intensive Care Unit cases remained high at three cases compared to two cases in the previous week.
In a statement by the Singapore Ministry of Health, obtained by PUNCH Healthwise from its website, it was noted that the virus wave is being closely traced to protect its citizens.
The statement reads in part, “The MOH is closely tracking the trajectory of this wave. To protect hospital bed capacity and as a precaution, public hospitals have been asked to reduce their non-urgent elective surgery cases and move suitable patients to care facilities like Transitional Care Facilities or at home through Mobile Inpatient Care@Home.
“While there is no indication that the circulating variants are more transmissible or cause more severe disease compared to previous variants, immunity in the population has likely waned over time.
“We urge the public to stay updated with COVID-19 vaccination to protect themselves against current and emerging virus strains and exercise personal and social responsibility to minimise transmission.”
“Globally, JN.1 and its sub-lineages, including KP.1 and KP.2, remain the predominant COVID-19 variants. Locally, the combined proportion of KP.1 and KP.2 currently accounts for over two-thirds of COVID-19 cases in Singapore.
“As of 3 May 2024, the World Health Organisation has classified KP.2 as a Variant Under Monitoring. There are currently no indications, globally or locally, that KP.1 and KP.2 are more transmissible or cause more severe disease than other circulating variants.
“Even as we live with COVID-19 as an endemic disease, we cannot afford to lower our guard. To date, about 80 per cent of the local population have completed their initial or additional dose but have not received a dose within the last year. This indicates that immunity in the population is likely to have waned.”
The ministry noted that since COVID-19 vaccination started in 2020/2021, the vaccines have consistently proven to be safe and effective in protecting individuals from severe illness.
According to the statement, billions of COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered globally and safety monitoring internationally has shown that the vaccine is safe.
It noted that there have been no long-term safety concerns with COVID-19 vaccination, insisting that adverse effects from the vaccines, including the mRNA vaccines, have all been observed to occur shortly after vaccination.
Based on local data, the statement stated that keeping updated with vaccination has continued to be a key effective measure in preventing severe COVID-19 illness requiring hospitalisation or ICU admission.
The statement further read, “During the peak month of the previous JN.1 wave in December 2023, the incidence rate of COVID-19 hospitalisations and ICU admissions among seniors aged 60 years and above was 25 per cent higher in those who had not kept their vaccination updated compared to those who had.
“The effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccination has also been shown in a large number of previous studies and continues to be demonstrated in recent data.
“For example, between September 2023 and January 2024, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention observed that the updated COVID-19 vaccines reduced the risk of symptomatic COVID-19 by more than 50 per cent when comparing those who received an updated vaccine to those who did not.
“The protection against COVID-19 outweighs the risk from COVID-19 vaccination, and we urge individuals to keep updated with their COVID-19 vaccination.”
It also noted that those who are at greatest risk of severe disease, including individuals aged 60 years and above, medically vulnerable individuals, and residents of aged care facilities, are recommended to receive an additional dose of the COVID-19 vaccine for 2024, around one year after the last dose received.
“Next-of-kin residents of aged care facilities are reminded to provide consent promptly if they intend to enable the resident to receive an additional dose of the updated vaccine.
“In addition, all vaccinated individuals aged six months and above are encouraged to receive an additional dose of the COVID-19 vaccine for 2024 as well.”
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