S'pore Looks Out For More Non mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines

By Massita Ahmad SINGAPORE, June 24 (Bernama) -- Singapore has signed advanced purchase agreements with Novavax, a US based biotechnology firm, in January this year for its non Messenger RNA (mRNA) COVID-19 vaccine. According to the republic’s Health Minister Ong Ye Kung, his Ministry has been looking out for “good quality, safe and effective” non mRNA vaccines to be part of Singapore’s national vaccination program. “Recently there has been some results of Novavax clinical trials... encouraging results published in the papers but the shipment will not be ready so soon because the vaccine is still undergoing phase three clinical trials,” he said at the Multi-Ministry Task Force (MTF) on COVID-19’s virtual press conference Thursday. “We are working closely with Novavax and awaiting their application for regulatory approval. We hope the vaccine supplies can arrive before the end of the year for those who want to take something that is non mRNA,” added Ong who is also the co-chair of the MTF. On the republic’s national vaccination programme, the MTF said the island state has been making steady progress. As of June 23, more than five million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered with around three million individuals having received at least the first dose of the vaccine, of whom about two million individuals have received their second dose and completed the full vaccination regiment. From June 26, Ong said the national vaccination programme will be accelerated, “as we have been able to bring forward the delivery of our vaccine supplies.” Under the accelerated programme, Ong said the republic will be able to administer up to 80,000 daily doses, up from 47,000 today and around 40,000 in May 2021. “Now that we switch to a higher gear for vaccination, we are raising our targets higher, and realising them earlier,” said Ong. Ong cited Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's address on May 31 which announced that Singapore’s target is to get two thirds of its population vaccinated with at least the first dose by early July. “With our accelerated vaccination program, we can now raise this target to have two thirds of our people fully vaccinated with two doses around National Day. And this is an ambitious target, but achievable,” said Ong. National Day of Singapore is celebrated every year on August 9. -- BERNAMA