Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine recipients not included in Singapore’s national immunization count, Health News & Top Stories

SINGAPORE – People who have received the Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine are not included in Singapore’s national immunization figures.

“National immunization figures only reflect people vaccinated as part of the national immunization program,” the Ministry of Health (MOH) said on Tuesday (July 6th).

“Currently, this only includes people vaccinated with Moderna Covid-19 and Pfizer-BioNTech / Comirnaty vaccines.”

However, the health ministry said those who received the vaccine will have the record reflected in the national immunization registry. It is also working to display the information in the HealthHub mobile app.

The Sinovac vaccine has shown varying protection in several international studies, with the most comprehensive analysis showing 51% efficacy. In contrast, the Moderna Covid-19 and Pfizer-BioNTech / Comirnaty vaccines have shown an efficacy rate of around 90%.

As of July 3, a dose of the Sinovac-CoronaVac vaccine was given to 17,296 people.

The 31 private clinics selected to administer the vaccine Sinovac can access the national immunization registry, added the Ministry of Health.

“People who have been vaccinated with one or two doses of the mRNA vaccine as part of the national immunization program would not be eligible to receive the Sinovac-CoronaVac vaccine from government stock, unless they are allergic to the vaccine. first dose of an mRNA vaccine. Said the Ministry of Health.

Those who have had allergic reactions to the first dose of Pfizer-BioNTech / Comirnaty or Moderna vaccines may choose to be vaccinated, but only at a public hospital clinic. This takes into account “their previous allergic reaction and a lack of data on the safety profile of receiving Sinovac-CoronaVac after a dose of an mRNA vaccine,” the health ministry said.

Clinics that administer the Sinovac vaccine are required to report adverse events or reactions to the ministry and the Health Sciences Authority (HSA). The figures for these incidents will be made public “from time to time,” the health ministry said.

The first batch of Sinovac vaccines arrived in Singapore on February 23, but the vaccine has not yet been approved for use in the national immunization program. The Chinese drug maker has not submitted the data the HSA needs to complete its assessment of the vaccine’s safety and effectiveness.

The vaccine is currently being administered in Singapore under the special access road to improve overall immunization coverage.

This allows the supply of Covid-19 vaccines that have been approved by the World Health Organization to be on its emergency use list.

Singapore’s director of medical services, Kenneth Mak, said last month that the Sinovac vaccine carries some risk that a person will be infected despite the injections, based on evidence from other countries.

For example, there has been a recent report of health workers in Indonesia infected even after receiving the Sinovac vaccine, and in other countries authorities are starting to think about booster doses just six months after the initial vaccination. , added Associate Professor Mak.