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SINGAPORE (Reuters) – As Singapore prepares to roll out COVID-19 vaccines, its surprising success in controlling the virus raises questions about whether they should get the vaccines.
In a city-state where enforcement is generally high, some Singaporeans fear that potential side effects, even if minimal, are not worth it when daily cases are near zero and deaths are among the lowest in the world. .
“Singapore is doing quite well,” said Aishwarya Kris, who is 40 and does not want a chance.
“I doubt the vaccine will help at all.”
A survey by local newspaper The Straits Times in early December found that 48% of those surveyed said they will receive a vaccine when it becomes available and 34% will wait six to 12 months.
But the government is eager to open up the economy further with the help of the vaccine in a country reliant on travel and trade and preparing to host the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum next year.
“Singapore is a victim of its own success,” said Leong Hoe Nam, an infectious disease expert at the city’s Mount Elizabeth Hospital.
To show that the vaccine is safe, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, 68, said he and his colleagues would be among the first to receive the injections. They will be free, voluntary and will be given first to health workers and the elderly.
The first shipment of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine arrived this week and Singapore hopes to have enough vaccines for the 5.7 million people by the third quarter of 2021.
The first vaccines will be given to priority groups, such as healthcare workers, in the next month or two, but it will be some time before they are offered to the general population, said Lawrence Wong, a minister who co-leads the task force about Singapore virus.
“The deployment to the population of Singapore will also take place over several months, depending on factors such as the supply and delivery schedules of the vaccines,” he said.
“RESPONSIBLE THING TO DO”
Many Singaporeans said they are ready to inject, not just to protect themselves from infection, but in hopes of being able to travel again. For others, it is a civic duty.
“I’m the one in the family who goes to work every day, so it’s the most responsible thing,” said Jeff Tan, a 39-year-old photographer.
Singapore acted swiftly after the first cases of the virus were reported, and while it was caught by tens of thousands of cases in migrant workers’ dormitories, it has again reduced infections.
Singaporeans generally accept vaccines, with close to 90% acceptance of major childhood bumps, said Hsu Li Yang of the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health at the National University of Singapore.
But there is concern about a new vaccine that uses novel technology and has seen rapid development and approval. Acceptance of the vaccine usually takes time, he said.
Even three nurses told Reuters on condition of anonymity that they would prefer not to get vaccinated.
Singapore’s drug regulator said it granted approval after data submitted by Pfizer-BioNTech was evaluated to show that the vaccine meets the required safety, efficacy and quality standards, and that the benefits outweigh the known risks.
The Pfizer vaccine has been linked to some cases of severe allergic reactions as it was rolled out in the UK and the US. But it hasn’t shown any serious long-term side effects in clinical trials.
Sales manager John Han said he wanted to wait for 80% of the population to take the vaccine without side effects.
“If they give me a choice, I may not take it. I don’t mind putting on the mask, being safe, avoiding crowded places,” said Han, 40.
(Reporting by Chen Lin and Aradhana Aravindan in Singapore; Editing by Michael Perry)
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