Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine will cease to be offered after September: MOH

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SINGAPORE: &nbsp, Singapore’s national immunization programme may stop offering the&nbsp, Sinovac-CoronaVac COVID-19 vaccination after September.

This is because the Health Sciences Authority ( HSA ) has not received&nbsp, any application for the Sinovac vaccine to be fully registered, &nbsp, the Ministry of Health ( MOH) said in a statement on Friday ( Aug 30 ).

As&nbsp, COVID-19 is then managed as an endemic disease, the HSA requires all COVID-19 vaccines to be completely registered,” as opposed to being used under evacuation license during the pandemic”.

” Ready individuals who wish to get the Sinovac-CoronaVac COVID-19 vaccine are advised to do so by Sep 30, 2024″, the Health Ministry said.

The MOH had previously stated in October of last year that if there was no program for the Sinovac vaccine to be totally registered, it would no more become available as part of the national immunization program.

Sinovac has stopped producing the vaccination, the Health Ministry said. &nbsp,

” As output has stopped, the source of the Sinovac-CoronaVac COVID-19 vaccine is now no commercially available in Singapore, and exclusive facilities are also unable to give it under the Exclusive Access Route”, MOH said.

The different vaccines available in Singapore- Pfizer-BioNTech/Comirnaty, &nbsp, Moderna/Spikevax and Novavax/Nuvaxovid- have been completely registered with HSA and will continue to be provided under the regional immunization programme.

To get the vaccine, people perhaps book&nbsp, an appointment at a participating standard professional office, or at a polyclinic&nbsp, through the HealthHub ordering method. Otherwise, they may move into any of the five&nbsp, Joint Testing and Vaccination Centres across Singapore. &nbsp,

COVID-19 waves will continue to occur and can occasionally lead to severe illness in those who are older or more physiologically fragile, according to MOH.

Members of the public should keep up with their COVID-19 immunization because it can stop serious illnesses, it advised.

According to the Health Ministry, people over the age of 60, those who are clinically vulnerable, and those who reside in older care facilities are advised to get an additional dose of vaccine never later than five months after the last dosage, but no later than that.