Singapore
By Jalelah Abu Baker 02 Aug 2021 02:07PM (Updated: 02 Aug 2021 02:10PM )
SINGAPORE: People who have suffered allergic reactions after the first dose of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine will be invited to get a Sinovac jab as a second dose, Senior Minister of State of Health Janil Puthucheary said in Parliament on Monday (Aug 2).
People who receive COVID-19 jabs in such a manner will be considered fully vaccinated under the national programme.
He
The Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines, which are approved for use in the national programme, use messenger RNA (mRNA) technology. This teaches cells to make a protein that triggers an immune response inside our bodies.
This is different from the Sinovac vaccine, known as CoronaVac, which uses unreactive coronvavirus particles that have been killed to stimulate the body’s antibody protection. The Sinovac vaccine is currently allowed to be administered in Singapore under the special access route, after it was approved for emergency use by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Dr Puthucheary was responding to Member of Parliament (MP) Gerald Giam (WP-Aljunied) who asked how individuals who have allergic reactions to their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine will be able to attain fully vaccinated status.
NOVAVAX VACCINE
Responding to another question from Mr Giam on the progress of the regulatory approval for the Novavax vaccine, Dr Puthucheary said that those who are allergic to the mRNA vaccines may also choose to wait for the Novavax vaccine that the Ministry of Health (MOH) has procured and expects to be delivered by the end of the year.
MOH and the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) are working closely with Novavax to facilitate the regulatory submission for their vaccine, he said.
Singapore authorities had signed an advance purchase agreement with Novavax for its vaccine - a non-mRNA vaccine that has demonstrated high efficacy against the COVID-19 virus - in January this year.
“The review timeline will depend on the availability and submission of data by the company to HSA. While we recognise the need to facilitate timely access to the vaccine, there should be no compromise on the scientific rigour of the assessment of their quality, safety, and efficacy,” he said.
Responding to a question on vaccination for short-term visit pass holders from MP He Ting Ru (WP-Sengkang), Dr Puthucheary said that the Government is “reviewing how short-term pass holders, such as those who are more vulnerable and who have been in Singapore on an extended basis due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, may receive vaccinations”.
Currently, the national vaccination programme covers those who make Singapore their home or who are here for an extended period of time, he noted, adding that more details will be announced at a later time.
He also gave an update on the vaccination of seniors in response to other questions. Seventy-nine per cent of those aged 70 and above have been vaccinated with at least one dose, he said.
While more seniors are coming forward to be vaccinated, with about 1,000 seniors signing up for their first dose each day, “we have to continue encouraging our seniors to get vaccinated because they are the most vulnerable to serious illness”, he said.
The proportion of seniors aged 70 and above who have not booked a vaccination appointment is six percentage points more than the general population, he said.
“We will continue to reach out to as many seniors as possible and encourage them to get vaccinated,” he said.
Download our app or subscribe to our Telegram channel for the latest updates on the coronavirus outbreak: https://cna.asia/telegram
Source: CNA/ja(ac)
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People with allergic reactions to mRNA COVID-19 vaccines can take Sinovac shot, will be considered fully vaccinated
The Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine, CoronaVac, is provided in Singapore only under the Health Ministry's Special Access Route framework (Photo: AFP)By Jalelah Abu Baker 02 Aug 2021 02:07PM (Updated: 02 Aug 2021 02:10PM )
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SINGAPORE: People who have suffered allergic reactions after the first dose of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine will be invited to get a Sinovac jab as a second dose, Senior Minister of State of Health Janil Puthucheary said in Parliament on Monday (Aug 2).
People who receive COVID-19 jabs in such a manner will be considered fully vaccinated under the national programme.
He
READ: 4 out of 155,000 people vaccinated had severe allergic reactions, all have recovered
The Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines, which are approved for use in the national programme, use messenger RNA (mRNA) technology. This teaches cells to make a protein that triggers an immune response inside our bodies.
This is different from the Sinovac vaccine, known as CoronaVac, which uses unreactive coronvavirus particles that have been killed to stimulate the body’s antibody protection. The Sinovac vaccine is currently allowed to be administered in Singapore under the special access route, after it was approved for emergency use by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Dr Puthucheary was responding to Member of Parliament (MP) Gerald Giam (WP-Aljunied) who asked how individuals who have allergic reactions to their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine will be able to attain fully vaccinated status.
READ: Sinovac vaccine recipients excluded from national tally; 'little data' on efficacy against new COVID-19 variants
NOVAVAX VACCINE
Responding to another question from Mr Giam on the progress of the regulatory approval for the Novavax vaccine, Dr Puthucheary said that those who are allergic to the mRNA vaccines may also choose to wait for the Novavax vaccine that the Ministry of Health (MOH) has procured and expects to be delivered by the end of the year.
MOH and the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) are working closely with Novavax to facilitate the regulatory submission for their vaccine, he said.
Singapore authorities had signed an advance purchase agreement with Novavax for its vaccine - a non-mRNA vaccine that has demonstrated high efficacy against the COVID-19 virus - in January this year.
“The review timeline will depend on the availability and submission of data by the company to HSA. While we recognise the need to facilitate timely access to the vaccine, there should be no compromise on the scientific rigour of the assessment of their quality, safety, and efficacy,” he said.
Responding to a question on vaccination for short-term visit pass holders from MP He Ting Ru (WP-Sengkang), Dr Puthucheary said that the Government is “reviewing how short-term pass holders, such as those who are more vulnerable and who have been in Singapore on an extended basis due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, may receive vaccinations”.
Currently, the national vaccination programme covers those who make Singapore their home or who are here for an extended period of time, he noted, adding that more details will be announced at a later time.
He also gave an update on the vaccination of seniors in response to other questions. Seventy-nine per cent of those aged 70 and above have been vaccinated with at least one dose, he said.
While more seniors are coming forward to be vaccinated, with about 1,000 seniors signing up for their first dose each day, “we have to continue encouraging our seniors to get vaccinated because they are the most vulnerable to serious illness”, he said.
The proportion of seniors aged 70 and above who have not booked a vaccination appointment is six percentage points more than the general population, he said.
“We will continue to reach out to as many seniors as possible and encourage them to get vaccinated,” he said.
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Download our app or subscribe to our Telegram channel for the latest updates on the coronavirus outbreak: https://cna.asia/telegram
Source: CNA/ja(ac)
Continue reading...