In more detail
Background
In response to the severity of pneumonia cases within Singapore, Open Government Products has developed the HAS to address this issue. Pneumonia is the third-leading cause of death in Singapore, but is highly preventable via pneumococcal and flu vaccines. However, less than 10% of Singaporeans above the age of 65 have received both doses of their pneumococcal vaccines.
One of the key reasons for this statistic is accessibility. Singaporeans may not know where to sign up for such vaccinations or whether they can even get an appointment.
Increasing accessibility through the HAS
The HAS facilitates access to vaccinations and enhances the ease of booking appointments.
More specifically, the HAS will link Community Health Assist Scheme ("CHAS") GP clinics with patients who are interested in taking vaccines under the National Adult Immunization Schedule ("NAIS"). For the initial launch, the government intends to target the vulnerable elderly, and intends to reach out to more than 600,000 eligible elderly to take their CHAS-subsidized pneumococcal vaccines (i.e., PCV13 and PPSV23) through the HAS.
After the initial roll-out, the government may gradually expand the ambit of vaccinations under the HAS to include other NAIS vaccines.
Adopting the HAS platform
Open Government Products has sought to make the HAS platform user-friendly for clinics to adopt, where clinics would have full control over the availability of appointment slots with minimal administration required.
Key benefits of the HAS for clinics include a potential growth in the clinic's patient base; and to allow clinics to better manage and plan their vaccine supply. It also offers clinics the opportunity to be part of the national effort to boost immunisation levels of vulnerable Singaporeans and to generally strengthen Singapore's public health system.
Clinics are invited to enroll in the HAS in the lead up to the public launch on 14 August.
The FAQs on the HAS may be accessed here.
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