Infectious Diseases (Diphtheria and Measles Vaccination) Regulations 2021

No. S 1082

Infectious Diseases Act

(CHAPTER 137)

Infectious Diseases
(Diphtheria and Measles Vaccination)
Regulations 2021

In exercise of the powers conferred by section 73 of the Infectious Diseases Act, the Minister for Health makes the following Regulations:

Citation and commencement

1. These Regulations are the Infectious Diseases (Diphtheria and Measles Vaccination) Regulations 2021 and come into operation on 1 January 2022.

Definitions

2.—(1) In these Regulations, unless the context otherwise requires —

“booster diphtheria vaccination” means a further vaccination against diphtheria of a child who has completed a course of primary diphtheria vaccination;

“certificate of temporary unfitness”, in relation to a child, means a certificate of unfitness issued by a medical practitioner under regulation 8(1) stating that, in the medical practitioner’s opinion, the child is temporarily unfit to be vaccinated against diphtheria or measles, as the case may be;

“Chief Executive” means the Chief Executive of the Board;

“diphtheria vaccine” means any preparation of diphtheria toxoid, whether or not the preparation also contains other toxoids;

“measles vaccine” means any preparation of attenuated live measles virus, whether or not the preparation also contains other attenuated live viruses;

“primary diphtheria vaccination” means the vaccination against diphtheria of a child who has not been previously vaccinated against diphtheria;

“specified date”, in relation to a certificate of temporary unfitness, means the date specified in that certificate in accordance with regulation 8(2)(b);

“vaccination against diphtheria” means the administration of a diphtheria vaccine to a child, for the purpose of providing protection against infection by the bacterium Corynebacterium diphtheriae;

“vaccination against measles” means the administration of a measles vaccine to a child, for the purpose of providing protection against infection by the measles virus.

(2) For the purposes of these Regulations, a child is regarded as temporarily unfit for vaccination against diphtheria or measles (as the case may be) for the period ending on the specified date in the certificate of temporary unfitness in respect of that child.

(3) In these Regulations, a course of primary diphtheria vaccination consists of 3 injections of diphtheria vaccine.

Primary diphtheria vaccination

3.—(1) Subject to this regulation, the parent or guardian of every child must ensure that the child completes a course of primary diphtheria vaccination when the child is 6 weeks of age or older but below 12 months of age.

(2) If a child who is born in Singapore —

(a)	leaves Singapore for a period of 6 months or longer without completing a course of primary diphtheria vaccination; and
(b)	returns to Singapore before attaining 12 years of age,

the child’s parent or guardian must ensure that the child completes a course of primary diphtheria vaccination within the period of 12 months after the date the child returns to Singapore.

(3) If a child who is born outside Singapore arrives in Singapore —

(a)	on or after attaining 6 weeks of age but below 6 months of age — the child’s parent or guardian must ensure that the child completes a course of primary diphtheria vaccination before the child attains 12 months of age; or
(b)	on or after attaining 6 months of age but below 12 years of age — the child’s parent or guardian must ensure that the child completes a course of primary diphtheria vaccination within the period of 12 months after the date the child arrives in Singapore.

(4) Where, by reason of temporary unfitness, a child does not complete a course of primary diphtheria vaccination in accordance with paragraph (1), (2) or (3) (as the case may be), the child’s parent or guardian must ensure that the child completes the course of primary diphtheria vaccination within the period of 12 months after the specified date in the certificate of temporary unfitness in respect of the child.

Booster diphtheria vaccinations

4.—(1) The parent or guardian of a child who has completed a course of primary diphtheria vaccination (whether in Singapore or elsewhere) (called in this regulation the applicable child) must ensure that the applicable child receives booster diphtheria vaccinations in accordance with this regulation.

(2) Subject to paragraphs (5), (6) and (8), the applicable child must receive the following booster diphtheria vaccinations:

(a)	one injection of diphtheria vaccine within the period of 18 months after the date on which the applicable child completes the course of primary diphtheria vaccination;
(b)	one further injection of diphtheria vaccine after the applicable child receives the booster diphtheria vaccination in accordance with sub‑paragraph (a) but before the applicable child attains 12 years of age.

(3) Subject to paragraphs (5), (7) and (8), if the applicable child —

(a)	is born in Singapore and leaves Singapore for a period of 6 months or longer without receiving any booster diphtheria vaccination in accordance with paragraph (2); or
(b)	is born outside Singapore,

the applicable child must receive the booster diphtheria vaccinations mentioned in paragraph (4) when the applicable child returns to or arrives in Singapore, as the case may be.

(4) The booster diphtheria vaccinations mentioned in paragraph (3) are the following:

(a)

one injection of diphtheria vaccine —

(i)	if the applicable period is less than 12 months — within the period of 18 months after the date on which the applicable child completes the course of primary diphtheria vaccination; or
(ii)	if the applicable period is 12 months or longer — within the period of 6 months after the date the applicable child returns to or arrives in Singapore, as the case may be;

(b)

one further injection of diphtheria vaccine —

(i)	unless sub‑paragraph (ii) applies, after the applicable child receives the booster diphtheria vaccination in accordance with sub‑paragraph (a) but before he or she attains 12 years of age; or
(ii)	if the applicable child arrives in Singapore on or after attaining 11 years and 6 months of age but before attaining 12 years of age, within the period of 6 months after the date the applicable child returns to or arrives in Singapore, as the case may be.

(5) Paragraph (2) or (3) does not apply if the applicable child starts and completes the course of primary diphtheria vaccination on or after attaining 7 years of age.

(6) Paragraph (2)(b) does not apply if the applicable child receives the booster diphtheria vaccination mentioned in paragraph (2)(a) on or after attaining 7 years of age.

(7) Paragraph (4)(b) does not apply if the applicable child receives the booster diphtheria vaccination mentioned in paragraph (4)(a) on or after attaining 7 years of age.

(8) Where, by reason of temporary unfitness, the applicable child does not receive any booster diphtheria vaccination in accordance with paragraph (2) or (3) (as the case may be), the parent or guardian of the applicable child must ensure that the applicable child receives the booster diphtheria vaccination concerned within the period of 6 months after the specified date in the certificate of temporary unfitness in respect of the applicable child.

(9) In paragraph (4)(a), “applicable period”, in relation to an applicable child, means the period starting on the date the applicable child completes a course of primary diphtheria vaccination and ending on the date the applicable child returns to or arrives in Singapore, as the case may be.

Vaccination against measles

5.—(1) Subject to this regulation, the parent or guardian of a child must ensure that the child completes a course of 2 vaccinations against measles when the child is 12 months of age or older but below 25 months of age.

(2) Subject to paragraphs (4) and (5), if a child who is born in Singapore —

(a)	leaves Singapore for a period of 6 months or longer without completing a course of 2 vaccinations against measles; and
(b)	returns to Singapore before attaining 12 years of age,

the child’s parent or guardian must ensure that the child completes the course of 2 vaccinations against measles within the period of 12 months after the date the child returns to Singapore.

(3) Subject to paragraph (5), if a child who is born outside Singapore arrives in Singapore —

(a)	on or after attaining 12 months of age but below 15 months of age — the child’s parent or guardian must ensure that the child completes a course of 2 vaccinations against measles before the child attains 25 months of age; or
(b)	on or after attaining 15 months of age but below 12 years of age — the child’s parent or guardian must ensure that the child completes a course of 2 vaccinations against measles within the period of 12 months after the date the child arrives in Singapore.

(4) Subject to paragraph (5), where, by reason of temporary unfitness, a child does not complete a course of 2 vaccinations against measles in accordance with paragraph (1), (2) or (3) (as the case may be), the child’s parent or guardian must ensure that the child completes the course of 2 vaccinations against measles within the period of 12 months after the specified date in the certificate of temporary unfitness in respect of the child.

(5) Paragraph (1), (2), (3) or (4) does not apply if the child’s parent or guardian submits to the Chief Executive the results of any laboratory test which show that the child —

(a)	has previously contracted measles; or
(b)	has immunity against the measles virus.

Notice to parent or guardian to have child vaccinated

6. Where the parent or guardian of a child has failed to comply with regulation 3(1), (2) or (3), 4(2) or (3) or 5(1), (2) or (3), the Director may by written notice require the child’s parent or guardian to have the child vaccinated against diphtheria or measles (as the case may be) within the time specified in the notice.

Confirmation and notification of vaccination

7. For the purposes of section 48(2)(b) of the Act, where a medical practitioner has vaccinated a child in Singapore against diphtheria or measles under these Regulations, the medical practitioner must, no later than 7 days after the date of the child’s vaccination against diphtheria or measles, as the case may be —

(a)	notify the Director or the Chief Executive of the child’s vaccination against diphtheria or measles (as the case may be), by submitting a notification through the website at www.nir.hpb.gov.sg/nird/ens/enslogin; and
(b)	notify the child’s parent or guardian of the child’s vaccination against diphtheria or measles (as the case may be) by giving the child’s parent or guardian a certificate confirming that the child has been vaccinated against diphtheria or measles, as the case may be.

Unfitness of child for vaccination

8.—(1) For the purposes of section 50 of the Act, an exemption certificate for vaccination against diphtheria or measles in the case of a child is a certificate of unfitness issued by a medical practitioner where, in the medical practitioner’s opinion, the child —

(a)	is unfit to be vaccinated against diphtheria or measles, as the case may be; or
(b)	has any medical condition for which vaccination against diphtheria or measles (as the case may be) is contraindicated.

(2) The certificate of unfitness must —

(a)	where the medical practitioner is of the opinion that the child is permanently unfit for vaccination against diphtheria or measles (as the case may be) — state that the child is permanently unfit for the vaccination; or
(b)	where the medical practitioner is of the opinion that the child is temporarily unfit for vaccination against diphtheria or measles (as the case may be) — specify the date by which, in the medical practitioner’s opinion, the child will be fit for the vaccination.

(3) For the purposes of section 50(4) of the Act, the medical practitioner mentioned in paragraph (1) must, no later than 7 days after the date the medical practitioner issues a certificate of unfitness, notify the Director or the Chief Executive of the issue of that certificate in the form and manner required by the Director.

Offences

9. Any person who knowingly fails to comply with regulation 3, 4(1), (2), (3) or (8) or 5(1), (2), (3) or (4) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $10,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months or to both.

Revocation

10. The Infectious Diseases (Diphtheria and Measles Vaccination) Regulations (Rg 3) are revoked.

Saving and transitional provisions

11.—(1) Despite regulation 3, regulation 3 of, and the First Schedule to, the revoked Regulations continue to apply to the parent or guardian of a child in Singapore who is born before 1 January 2022 as if those Regulations had not been revoked.

(2) Despite regulation 4, regulation 4 of the revoked Regulations continues to apply in relation to a child residing in Singapore who has received primary diphtheria vaccination before 1 January 2022 as if those Regulations had not been revoked.

(3) For the purposes of paragraph (2), “primary diphtheria vaccination” has the meaning given by regulation 3(2), read with regulation 3(3), of the revoked Regulations.

(4) Despite regulation 5 —

(a)	regulation 11 of the revoked Regulations continues to apply to the parent or guardian of a child born in Singapore before 1 January 2022 as if those Regulations had not been revoked; and
(b)	regulation 12 of the revoked Regulations continues to apply to the parent or guardian of a child who is born outside Singapore and arrives in Singapore before 1 January 2022 as if those Regulations had not been revoked.

(5) A written notice issued under regulation 17 of the revoked Regulations to a child’s parent or guardian is treated as a written notice issued under regulation 6.

(6) Despite regulation 7, regulation 18 of, and the Third Schedule to, the revoked Regulations continue to apply to and in relation to any medical practitioner who, before 1 January 2022, has vaccinated any child —

(a)	against diphtheria under regulation 3(1) or 4 of the revoked Regulations; or
(b)	against measles under regulation 11 or 12 of the revoked Regulations,

as if those Regulations had not been revoked.

(7) A certificate of vaccination against diphtheria or measles (as the case may be) that is issued by a medical practitioner under regulation 18 of the revoked Regulations in respect of a child is treated as a certificate issued by the medical practitioner confirming that that child has been vaccinated against diphtheria or measles (as the case may be) under regulation 7(b).

(8) A certificate of unfitness issued under regulation 19(1) of the revoked Regulations is treated as a certificate of unfitness mentioned in regulation 8(1), and a date specified under regulation 19(2) of the revoked Regulations is treated as a specified date under these Regulations.

(9) Where the certificate of unfitness in paragraph (8) states that the child mentioned in that certificate is temporarily unfit to be vaccinated against diphtheria or measles, as the case may be —

(a)

the parent or guardian of the child must, no later than the date specified in the certificate of unfitness, take or cause the child to be taken to a medical practitioner; and

(b)

the medical practitioner mentioned in sub‑paragraph (a) must examine the child and —

(i)	vaccinate the child against diphtheria or measles (as the case may be) in accordance with these Regulations; or
(ii)	issue a certificate of unfitness under regulation 8(1) in respect of the child.

(10) Despite regulation 8(3), regulation 19(4) of the revoked Regulations continues to apply to a medical practitioner who issues a certificate of unfitness under regulation 19 of the revoked Regulations before 1 January 2022 as if those Regulations had not been revoked.

(11) In this regulation, “revoked Regulations” means the Infectious Diseases (Diphtheria and Measles Vaccination) Regulations as in force immediately before 1 January 2022.

Made on 30 December 2021.

CHAN YENG KIT

Permanent Secretary,
Ministry of Health,
Singapore.

[AG/LEGIS/SL/137/2015/12 Vol. 1]

Search within Legislation