We thank Mr Chen De Hou for his letter (“接种疫苗后过敏反应住院赔付疑问”, 27 May).
The Vaccine Injury Financial Assistance Programme (VIFAP) is intended to provide financial assistance to Singapore Citizens, Permanent Residents and Long-Term Pass holders vaccinated under the national vaccination programme in the rare event that a person suffers serious side effects assessed to be related to the COVID-19 vaccines. This is to give greater peace of mind for those deciding on taking up the vaccination.
Individuals may submit a VIFAP application, which must be accompanied by the “Request for Medical Information” form completed by the attending doctor. More information on the application process and requirements can be found at https://www.moh.gov.sg/covid-19/vaccination/vifap.
As medical conditions that occur after vaccination can be potentially caused by different factors, the independent clinical panel appointed by the Ministry of Health (MOH) will review the medical information submitted as part of the application, and assess the relatedness and severity of the side effect(s) of the condition to the COVID-19 vaccination.
The amount of financial assistance provided is dependent on the severity of the serious side effect. For example, an individual who experiences serious side effects attributed to the COVID-19 vaccines, required inpatient hospitalisation and medical intervention, and subsequently recovers, may qualify for a one-time VIFAP pay-out of $2,000.
MOH has contacted Raffles Hospital, who confirmed that while the Request for Medical Information form for Mr Chen’s wife had been duly completed, they had not returned the form to Mr Chen. MOH also informed Mr Chen to proceed with the VIFAP application for his wife.
Vaccinated persons such as Mr Chen’s wife, who experienced and required medical attention for side effects after COVID-19 vaccination, can continue to receive support for medical expenses through applicable healthcare financing schemes, such as MediShield Life and subsidies at our public healthcare institutions.
Vernon Lee (Assoc Prof)
Director, Communicable Diseases Division
Ministry of Health