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SINGAPORE: A nationwide effort to vaccinate the Singaporean population will require “considerable resources” to implement and will be one of the government’s key focus areas in 2021, Health Minister Gan Kim Yong said in Parliament on Monday (4 of January).
Immunization has already started after Singapore received its first shipment of COVID-19 vaccines on December 21, and health workers from the National Center for Infectious Diseases (NCID) became the first to receive their injections on December 30. .
More vaccines are expected to arrive and the government has been encouraging all medically eligible residents to come forward and get vaccinated.
READ: NCID nurse becomes first person in Singapore to receive COVID-19 vaccine
In his ministerial statement in Parliament, Mr. Gan said that the last time Singapore conducted a vaccination exercise of this scale was in 1959, in response to an outbreak of smallpox. At that time a little more than 1 million people were vaccinated.
“The scale of the current effort is larger, but we are also much better prepared. We started planning this from the beginning, ”said Mr. Gan, who co-chairs the multi-ministerial working group dealing with the pandemic, along with Education Minister Lawrence Wong.
Gan said Singapore has put processes in place to meet the cold chain logistics requirements for vaccines, from delivery to airport reception, storage and transportation to vaccination sites. Some, such as the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines that are based on mRNA technology, require the vaccines to be deep-frozen.
READ: How COVID-19 vaccines are transported to Singapore and stored here
While health workers receive their vaccinations, authorities are setting up clinics and vaccination centers for others to be immunized when their turn comes, Gan said.
“Prior reservations will be necessary given the requirements of the cold chain at the vaccination sites and the multi-dose vials of the vaccines. It will also ensure operational efficiency and minimize individual waiting times, ”he said, adding that more information on how to make the reservation will be provided later.
The vaccine is free to all Singaporeans and long-term residents, including long-term work permit holders.
Singapore should take advantage of the current situation, when community cases are low, to immunize the population, said the chairman of the Expert Committee on COVID-19 Vaccination. All eligible should be vaccinated, Associate Professor Benjamin Ong said in an exclusive interview with CNA’s Cheryl Goh.
“We encourage everyone to come forward to receive their vaccination when their turn comes so that we can increase our coverage as soon as possible,” he said.
“At the same time, we will test our systems thoroughly prior to commissioning to ensure that vaccination operations run smoothly and patient safety is not compromised.”
Some vaccines, such as the one from Pfizer-BioNTech, will require two doses, 21 days apart, and will take up to 14 more days after the second dose to achieve maximum protection against the virus.
FIRST-LINE WORKERS WILL BE VACCINATED FIRST
Singapore will prioritize vaccines for groups that are most at risk, according to World Health Organization guidelines, Gan noted.
“As more vaccines are approved for use, we will adjust our vaccination schedule, depending on the vaccine supply and the epidemiology of the disease at that time,” he said.
In addition to health sector workers, authorities will prioritize COVID-19 front-line workers, as well as other essential workers, including employees hired by the Health Promotion Board and staff working in government quarantine facilities, community care facilities and dedicated home notification facilities.
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Vaccinations for the elderly and those at increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19 infection will begin next month, beginning with those aged 70 and over. Next in line are those in jobs or environments where the risk of an over-broadcast event is high, such as the construction, marine and process industries, including migrant workers, Gan said.
This is followed by other Medically eligible Singaporeans and long-term residents. Currently, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is not recommended for pregnant women, those under 16 years of age, and people whose immune systems are compromised.
Responding to questions from Members of Parliament about the number of vaccine doses assured, Mr. Gan said that the country will have enough vaccines for all Singaporeans and long-term residents of Singapore. However, it was unable to disclose the specific quantity requested, due to “commercial sensitivities and confidentiality commitments” in the advance purchase agreements signed with the vaccine manufacturers.
READ: 2 COVID-19 Family Groups – A ‘sobering reminder’ of how easy it is for groups to break up: Lawrence Wong
Following the first shipment of 31 boxes of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, the country expects more deliveries in the coming months, including from Moderna and Sinovac.
“The vaccines will arrive in Singapore in batches, given the high global demand, especially from countries with high infection rates. Pharmaceutical companies will also need time to expand vaccine production and distribution.
“If all goes according to schedule, we will have enough vaccines for everyone by the third quarter of 2021,” said the Health Minister.
Gan warned that new infections will occur in Singapore from time to time, and the country continues to face the risk of new clusters and coronavirus outbreaks in Phase 3 of its reopening, which began on December 28.
“This will be the new normal for a long time; that is why we still need to maintain our multi-layered defense. In fact, we must strengthen it even more as we continue our journey through Phase 3, and vaccination is a new line of defense that we must implement, “he said.
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