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Yahoo
a day ago
- Health
- Yahoo
From September, Singapore mandates measles shots for helpers in homes with unvaccinated kids under seven
SINGAPORE, June 11 — From September 1, all domestic helpers in Singapore working in homes with children under the age of seven who are not fully vaccinated against measles must themselves be immunised, the country's Ministry of Manpower (MOM) announced yesterday. The move is aimed at safeguarding 'unvaccinated young children who are at higher risk of serious health complications from measles infections', said MOM, as reported by Channel News Asia (CNA). Singapore has already recorded 10 measles infections in 2025 as of the week ending May 10, just one shy of the total 11 cases reported in all of 2024, according to the Ministry of Health. Employers applying for or renewing work permits for migrant domestic workers (MDWs) must now declare: Whether the domestic helper is already vaccinated or immune to measles Whether all children under seven in the household are fully vaccinated If unvaccinated, whether a vaccination appointment has been booked Domestic helpers may be exempted if they are already immune — either through previous infection or past vaccination — or if all children under seven in the home have been fully immunised. Proof of immunity, such as vaccination records or serology test results, may be required. Employers are advised to check their domestic helper's immunity status well before permit renewal. Households with immunocompromised members are also strongly encouraged to verify their helper's measles immunity or arrange for vaccination. To meet the requirement, domestic helpers must receive two doses of the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine, spaced at least 28 days apart. The vaccine is available at private GP clinics, with the cost to be paid by employers. MOM also warned against false declarations. 'If employers with children below seven years old are found with MDWs who are not immune against measles, their work pass privileges may be suspended until vaccination proof is submitted,' the ministry said. Random checks and documentary audits will be conducted to ensure compliance. While Singapore maintains high overall vaccination rates — over 95 per cent for the first MMR dose and 90 per cent for the second among resident two-year-olds — sporadic cases are expected, MOM said, citing the 'highly transmissible nature of the disease'. The Communicable Diseases Agency (CDA) stressed that despite strong local immunity, 'the surge in measles cases globally and regionally continues to pose public health risks, particularly for those without measles immunity'. Measles, which spreads through airborne droplets, has been part of Singapore's compulsory childhood immunisation schedule since 1985.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Measles immunity required for maids working in households with young kids not fully vaccinated
SINGAPORE - From September, employers of migrant domestic workers (MDWs) must ensure that their helper is immune to measles if their household has a child under the age of seven who is not fully vaccinated against the disease. The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said in a release on June 10 that this measure will enhance public health resilience and protect unvaccinated young children who are at higher risk of serious health complications from measles infections. At the point of a work permit issuance for new MDWs or renewals for existing MDWs from Sept 1, employers with children below seven years old in the household will be required to declare if the helper is already vaccinated or immune to measles. They may also need to declare if the child in the household is fully vaccinated, or if a vaccination appointment has been scheduled for the helper if she is not yet vaccinated, MOM added. A helper does not need to be vaccinated if she is already immune to measles, or if all children under seven in the household are fully vaccinated. Measles immunity can be acquired through past infection or vaccination. The employer may provide MOM proof of this, such as a completion of vaccination, serology test result or laboratory confirmation of past infection. To be fully vaccinated, two doses of the measles vaccine, available at general practitioner clinics, are required. The cost of two doses is around $80 to $140. The employer has to bear any costs incurred in meeting the measles immunity requirement, said MOM. The ministry encourages those who already has helpers to review their immunity status ahead of work permit renewals. It will conduct sample checks and may request documentary proof of helpers' immunity. If MDWs are required to have measles immunity but are not immune, their work pass privileges may be suspended until valid proof of vaccination is provided. Measles is a highly contagious viral disease that is transmitted through the air. Despite high vaccination coverage and population immunity in Singapore, sporadic cases and small clusters of measles are still expected among individuals who are not immune due to the highly transmissible nature of the disease. Given Singapore's position as a major travel hub, the surge in measles cases globally and regionally continues to pose public health risks, particularly for those without immunity, MOM said. The new requirement seeks to minimise the risk of measles transmission to vulnerable children who are not fully protected against the disease. Employers are also strongly encouraged to vaccinate their helpers or ascertain their immunity if there are household members with weakened immune systems. Source: The Straits Times © SPH Media Limited. Permission required for reproduction Discover how to enjoy other premium articles here
New Paper
2 days ago
- Health
- New Paper
Measles immunity required for maids in households with young children from Sept 1
From September, employers of migrant domestic workers (MDWs) must ensure that their MDW is immune to measles if there is a child under the age of seven in the household who is not fully vaccinated against the disease. The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said in a release on June 10 that this measure will enhance public health resilience and protect unvaccinated young children who are at higher risk of serious health complications from measles infections. At the point of a work permit issuance for new MDWs or renewals for existing MDWs from Sept 1, employers with children below seven years old in the household will be required to declare if the MDW is already vaccinated or immune to measles. They may also need to declare if the child in the household is fully vaccinated, or if a vaccination appointment has been scheduled for the MDW if she is not yet vaccinated, MOM added. An MDW does not need to be vaccinated if she is already immune to measles, or if all children under seven in the household are fully vaccinated. Measles immunity can be acquired through past infection or vaccination. The employer may provide MOM proof of this, such as a completion of vaccination, serology test result or laboratory confirmation of past infection. To be fully vaccinated, two doses of the measles vaccine, available at GP clinics, are required. The cost of two doses is around $80 to $140. Any costs incurred in meeting the measles immunity requirement are to be borne by the employer, said MOM. It encourages employers with existing MDWs to review their workers' immunity status ahead of work permit renewals. The ministry said it will conduct sample checks and may request documentary proof of the MDW's immunity. Employers with children under seven years old who are found to have MDWs without measles immunity may have their work pass privileges suspended until valid proof of vaccination is provided. Measles is a highly contagious viral disease that is transmitted through the air. Despite high vaccination coverage and population immunity in Singapore, sporadic cases and small clusters of measles are still expected among individuals who are not immune due to the highly transmissible nature of the disease. Given Singapore's position as a major travel hub, the surge in measles cases globally and regionally continues to pose public health risks, particularly for those without immunity, MOM said. The new requirement seeks to minimise the risk of measles transmission to vulnerable children who are not fully protected against the disease. Employers are also strongly encouraged to vaccinate or ascertain immunity of their MDWs if there are household members who have weakened immune systems.
AsiaOne
2 days ago
- Health
- AsiaOne
Maids working in households with kids must have immunity against measles: MOM, Singapore News
Migrant domestic workers (MDWs) will have to be vaccinated against measles if they are working in households with children under seven. In a statement on Tuesday (June 10), the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said that employers of MDWs will be required to declare their MDW's immunity status when applying for work permits starting Sept 1. "The measles immunity requirement for MDWs aims to reduce the risk of transmission to young children who are not fully vaccinated against measles," the ministry said, adding that the new measure will enhance public health resilience and protect youths who are at higher risk of serious health complications. To document immunity, employers with children aged seven and below can declare if their MDW is vaccinated or immune to measles. Documentary proof can be provided in the form of serology test results, laboratory confirmation of past infection and proof of completion of vaccination. Alternatively, employers can declare if all children below seven years old in their household have been fully vaccinated, or if they have scheduled a vaccination appointment for their MDW. Existing MDWs will also be subject to the same requirements when renewing their work permits. "An MDW does not need to be vaccinated if she is immune to measles or all children below seven years old in the household are fully vaccinated against measles," MOM said. To enforce the immunity requirement, the ministry will conduct sample checks and may request for documentary proof of immunity. It may suspend work pass privileges of MDWs if they are found to be working with children below seven years old without vaccination against measles. Measles is a highly contagious viral disease among individuals who are not immune to it. Singapore is also particularly at risk despite high vaccination coverage and population immunity due to its role as a major travel hub. Individuals need two doses of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine, with at least four weeks between doses, to be considered fully vaccinated. The MMR vaccine is available at private general practitioner clinics and all costs relating to measles vaccination should be borne by MDW employers, the ministry said. The cost is about $80 to $140. [[nid:716586]]
Straits Times
2 days ago
- Health
- Straits Times
Measles immunity required for migrant domestic workers in households with young children from Sept 1
The surge in measles cases globally and regionally continues to pose public health risks. PHOTO: AFP Measles immunity required for migrant domestic workers in households with young children from Sept 1 SINGAPORE - From September, employers of migrant domestic workers (MDWs) must ensure that their MDW is immune to measles if there is a child under the age of seven in the household who is not fully vaccinated against the disease. The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said in a release on June 10 that this measure will enhance public health resilience and protect unvaccinated young children who are at higher risk of serious health complications from measles infections. At the point of a work permit issuance for new MDWs or renewals for existing MDWs from Sept 1, employers with children below seven years old in the household will be required to declare if the MDW is already vaccinated or immune to measles. They may also need to declare if the child in the household is fully vaccinated, or if a vaccination appointment has been scheduled for the MDW if she is not yet vaccinated, MOM added. An MDW does not need to be vaccinated if she is already immune to measles, or if all children under seven in the household are fully vaccinated. Measles immunity can be acquired through past infection or vaccination. The employer may provide MOM proof of this, such as a completion of vaccination, serology test result or laboratory confirmation of past infection. To be fully vaccinated, two doses of the measles vaccine, available at GP clinics, are required. The cost of two doses is around $80 to $140. Any costs incurred in meeting the measles immunity requirement are to be borne by the employer, said MOM. It encourages employers with existing MDWs to review their workers' immunity status ahead of work permit renewals. The ministry said it will conduct sample checks and may request documentary proof of the MDW's immunity. Employers with children under seven years old who are found to have MDWs without measles immunity may have their work pass privileges suspended until valid proof of vaccination is provided. Measles is a highly contagious viral disease that is transmitted through the air. Despite high vaccination coverage and population immunity in Singapore, sporadic cases and small clusters of measles are still expected among individuals who are not immune due to the highly transmissible nature of the disease. Given Singapore's position as a major travel hub, the surge in measles cases globally and regionally continues to pose public health risks, particularly for those without immunity, MOM said. The new requirement seeks to minimise the risk of measles transmission to vulnerable children who are not fully protected against the disease. Employers are also strongly encouraged to vaccinate or ascertain immunity of their MDWs if there are household members who have weakened immune systems. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
