MOH helping private institutions to facilitate the ordering of more Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine doses

SINGAPORE: The Ministry of Health (MOH) has been "facilitating private healthcare institutions" to order more Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine doses, with stocks expected to arrive in the next four to six weeks.

Under the Special Access Route framework, the Government has allocated 170,000 doses of its stock of Sinovac vaccine to 31 approved private healthcare institutions. 

This means 85,000 people will be able to receive their vaccine free of charge, based on a two-dose regime per person for full vaccination.

MOH said on Tuesday (Aug 10) night that based on its estimates, 85,000 people will have received their first dose of the Sinovac vaccine by Thursday.

"After ringfencing sufficient doses for individuals coming for second doses of the Sinovac vaccine, the stock for the 31 approved private healthcare institutions will be depleted," MOH added.

Besides the 170,000 doses allocated to private healthcare institutions under the Special Access Route framework, the remaining 30,000 doses in the Government's stock have been reserved for Singaporeans, permanent residents and long-term pass holders who had allergic reactions to the mRNA vaccines, and for "other purposes", the ministry said.

Those who are allergic to mRNA vaccines – those produced by Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna – will continue to be able to receive the Sinovac vaccine. MOH will separately contact them to arrange for their vaccination appointments.

The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) has received further applications from private healthcare institutions to import Sinovac vaccine doses via the Special Access Route.

HSA will continue to evaluate applications to import non-mRNA vaccines through this route, said MOH, adding that such vaccines will not be subsidised or covered under the Vaccine Injury Financial Assistance Programme.

"Individuals who are not contraindicated to mRNA vaccines are strongly encouraged to take mRNA vaccines where possible, given the higher efficacy rates of the mRNA vaccines under our National Vaccination Programme.

"Eligible individuals aged 12 years and above can now walk in to any of the vaccination centres administering the Pfizer-BioNTech/Comirnaty and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines for vaccination, without a prior appointment," the ministry added.

Nearly 3.9 million people in Singapore have completed the full vaccination regimen under the national vaccination programme. A total of 131,186 doses of other vaccines recognised in the World Health Organization's Emergency Use Listing (WHO EUL) have been administered as of Monday, covering 80,459 individuals.

As of Monday, 72 per cent of Singapore's population has completed the full vaccination regimen or received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine. About 81 per cent of the population has received at least one dose.