2nd Jul 2021
The Ministry of Health (MOH) has added another seven private healthcare institutions to be licensed providers of the Sinovac-CoronaVac (Sinovac) vaccine under the Special Access Route (SAR). This makes a total of 31 clinics currently offering the Sinovac vaccine. These providers can draw from the Government’s existing stock and administer the vaccine to Singapore Citizens, Permanent Residents and persons holding Long-Term Passes who wish to take the vaccine.
2. Since 18 June, the initial 24 selected clinics have been providing the Sinovac vaccine in a cautious manner and managing the number of vaccines they administer on a daily basis. Some of the group clinics in the current list of providers are now ready to ramp up their services to help improve the wait times for individuals on the clinics’ appointment lists. MOH has thus activated another seven clinics to provide the Sinovac vaccine. These additional clinics will assist in clearing the appointment lists from the 24 existing clinics and may not take in new appointments from those opting to take Sinovac.
3. Please refer to Annex A for the revised list of 31 selected providers and their vaccination administration fee per dose of the Sinovac vaccine. To avoid queues, please call the clinic or visit their website to book an appointment prior to heading down to the clinic for vaccination. Those who walk into the clinics without prior appointment will be turned away. Individuals are also reminded not to crowd outside the clinics and that safe distancing measures should be adhered to at all times.
4. As the Sinovac vaccine remains unregistered, it has not undergone a full evaluation for its safety and efficacy, and will not be covered under the Vaccine Injury Financial Assistance Programme (VIFAP) meant for vaccines under our national vaccination programme. Individuals who wish to receive the Sinovac vaccine should discuss its risks and benefits with their doctors at these selected private healthcare institutions, and jointly make an informed decision.
5. Currently, we grant vaccine privileges such as exemption from Pre-Event Testing (PET) to individuals fully vaccinated with the two COVID-19 vaccines under our national vaccination programme. This is because there is ample data and studies that show that these individuals pose lower risk of being infected and hence lower risk of transmitting the COVID-19 virus, including the more contagious Delta variant. However, there is insufficient international data thus far on the effectiveness of the Sinovac vaccine against the Delta variant. Hence PET continues to be needed for individuals vaccinated with the Sinovac vaccine. As the Delta variant becomes more dominant around the world and more data becomes available, we will make an objective assessment and review whether individuals who have received SAR vaccines can also be exempted from PET.
6. MOH plans to bring in other non-mRNA vaccines to be part of the national vaccination programme before the end of the year, subject to supply and regulatory approval. More details will be provided at a later date. If approved under our national programme, those inoculated with these vaccines will similarly be exempted from PET.
7. We urge individuals to consider their options carefully, consult their doctors if they have concerns on the vaccine and be vaccinated to better protect themselves, their family and society.
MINISTRY OF HEALTH
2 JULY 2021