Dear Coaches,
This is an important message regarding the latest updated advisory on COVID-19 Vaccination.
As you may have read on local media, a 16-year-old Singaporean boy suffered cardiac arrest, six days after receiving his first dose of COVID-19 vaccine. It was reported that he did weightlifting at a gym and trained with heavy weights that were above his body weight, before he collapsed at his home in the subsequent morning on 3 July. He is now in critical condition at the intensive care unit in the National University Hospital (NUH).
From the latest Ministry of Health (MOH) Updated Advisory on COVID-19 Vaccination, dated 5th July 2021, MOH concurs with the recommendations by both the Expert Committee and Health Sciences Authority (HSA) for vaccinated persons to avoid strenuous physical activity after either the first or second COVID-19 vaccination dose. MOH advises all persons, in particular adolescents and younger men aged less than 30 years old, to avoid strenuous physical activity for seven days after their vaccination, be it the first or second doses, as a further precautionary measure.
Please read the advisory here: https://www.moh.gov.sg/news-highlights/details/updated-advisory-on-covid-19-vaccination.
Coaches are strongly advised to track your athletes who have taken their vaccination, and plan your training for them safely and appropriately as well as monitor their training responses.
As a responsible coach exercising your duty of care, it is important that you keep yourself updated with the latest MOH (https://www.moh.gov.sg/), and Sport Singapore advisories (https://www.myactivesg.com/COVID-19, https://www.sportsingapore.gov.sg/newsroom/media-releases).