With the emergence of new COVID-19 variants, getting your maid to register for the national vaccination programme is one of the few ways to reduce disease transmission and minimise the risk of severe complications from the disease. After all, the Singapore government has promised to look after everyone in the country.
That being said, if you’re hiring a domestic helper in Singapore, you can encourage your maid to register for the vaccine after they have served their 10-day Stay-Home Notice (SHN). While your foreign maid may be reluctant to register for the vaccine, you should provide reassurance and relevant information about the vaccine.
This is where we come in – to supply you with information about the national COVID-19 vaccination programme and the various processes that your maid will have to follow to get the vaccine. Not only that, but we will also discuss the importance of COVID-19 vaccination.
Singapore Government’s National COVID-19 Vaccination Programme
Since the outbreak of this COVID-19 pandemic, many lives have been lost and the infection rate is showing no signs of slowing down. As a result of this global health crisis, vaccines were created to counter the effects of getting COVID-19 and are currently being distributed to many across the world.
Upon receiving the first vaccine shipment in December 2020, Singapore began to inoculate its citizens and long-term residents. Due to the steady vaccine take-up rate by Singaporeans, the vaccination for permanent residents and long-term pass holders between the ages of 12 and 39, including foreign domestic workers began on 30 June 2021.
This is in light of the tasks that foreign domestic maids undertake that includes looking after the elderly who are vulnerable to severe illness from the coronavirus, or those ineligible for vaccination. Hence, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) sent a notice to employers in May 2021 to inform them that foreign maids could start registering their interest in the vaccine.
How can my maid register for the vaccine?
It’s a pretty simple process if your maid has been working for you for the long term. But before you can register your maid’s interest in the vaccine, you will need to assure your maid that the COVID-19 vaccination is safe for all and there will be some vaccine side effects.
Once your maid is convinced about that, she can walk in to any Vaccination Centre without prior appointment. Alternatively, you can help your maid register for the vaccine at https://preregister.vaccine.gov.sg/. Your maid will then receive an SMS as soon as there are slots available for booking.
After obtaining a vaccination slot and before going for the vaccination, you have to make sure that your maid has downloaded the TraceTogether mobile app or brought along the token to facilitate contact tracing. The subsequent vaccine dosage will be administered accordingly.
If your foreign maid has received her first dose of vaccine overseas, specifically the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccine, you can rest assured that they will be given the same vaccine for their second dose. Otherwise, you can encourage your maid to register for the vaccine here in Singapore.
After the vaccination, remind your foreign maid to keep their vaccination records safely and to keep a photo of their vaccination record on their phones in case they are asked for it by the local authorities.
Should your maid experience any serious side effects after taking the vaccine, you can apply for the Ministry of Health (MOH) Vaccine Injury Financial Assistance Programme (VIFAP) to support your maid. This will give you and your maid greater peace of mind.
What is the importance of getting the COVID-19 vaccine?
Vaccines in general prevent severe illness, hospitalisation, and death. In the case of COVID-19, the vaccines were developed using science and have gone through all the required stages of clinical trials to show their efficacy against the coronavirus.
Among the importance of getting COVID-19 vaccination are:
– To keep people from getting and spreading the COVID-19 virus.
– To minimise the risk of severe complications from the coronavirus.
– To protect the people around, especially those with increased risk of becoming severely ill from COVID-19.
– To prevent the healthcare system from being overwhelmed.
– To achieve a high level of population coverage (herd immunity).
– To protect those who are unable to receive the COVID-19 vaccine (e.g. severely immunocompromised individuals such as young children).
By providing this information to your foreign maid, you will be able to convince her to register for the vaccine here in Singapore. Besides, your maid might just be able to convince other foreign domestic workers to get vaccinated to boost community protection.
Homekeeper can help with your household needs
If you’re looking to hire a Filipino maid with the help of an agency in Singapore, Homekeeper is here to help with the process.
Additionally, we’ll process the necessary documents for you and your helper. We also provide maid pre-employment training to ensure that your helper meets your household needs. Reach out to us by calling (65) 6468 5220 or email contactus@homekeeper.sg.
About the Author
Linda Seh has over 20 years of experience in the Employment industry. She takes the time to thoroughly interview each family and helper to understand their requirements, personalities, and preferences. Her intuition and insight has helped her make placements that result in lasting, harmonious working relationships. Linda now leverages this expertise and experience to simplify your search and ensure you find the ideal and qualified helper to become a valued member of your family.
