Healthway Medical Corporation to offer Sinopharm shots from Sept 8

HEALTHWAY Medical Corporation (HMC) 5NG : 5NG 0%on Tuesday announced it will begin administering the China National Pharmaceutical Group Corporation (Sinopharm) Covid-19 vaccine at three of its clinics from Sept 8, with plans to progressively roll out the vaccine to more of its network of clinics in the coming weeks.

Administered in two doses given three to four weeks apart, the vaccine will be priced at S$99 in total inclusive of GST (Goods and Services Tax). It is approved for use for anyone aged 18 years and above with no history of anaphylaxis and who is not pregnant.

HMC is also offering both doses of the vaccine on a complimentary basis, through sponsorship by property group OUE, to the first 1,000 seniors aged 60 and above who have registered and confirmed their interest.

This initiative is in support of the government's efforts to boost vaccination take-up rate among seniors who are at higher risk of falling critically ill if they are infected, said the Catalist-listed private healthcare provider.

In its press statement, HMC noted that it received "overwhelming interest from the public" for the newly developed Sinopharm vaccine, which debuted at the 2021 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) on Sept 4.

Sinopharm uses an inactivated form of the coronavirus, unlike Pfizer-BioNTech/Comirnaty and Moderna that are mRNA (messenger RNA) vaccines.

GET BT IN YOUR INBOX DAILY

Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox.

Sign UpVIEW ALL

Singapore's Health Sciences Authority (HSA) has approved applications for private hospitals and clinics to import Sinopharm through the Special Access Route as of July 28. This comes after the vaccine was authorised by the World Health Organization (WHO) for emergency use listing on May 7.

Sinopharm is also the first vaccine manufactured in China to be approved by the WHO. According to a Sept 2 article published on the organisation's website, it has an estimated 79 per cent efficacy against symptomatic infection and hospitalisation.

"By tapping on its vast network of clinics in Singapore, HMC aims to make it possible for people to receive the vaccine by heading down to a HMC clinic nearest to their homes… Providing the Sinopharm vaccine is HMC's latest initiative to support the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic in Singapore," said the group.

HMC shares closed 0.1 Singapore cent or 2.9 per cent lower at 3.3 cents on Monday.

READ MORE: 

• Private healthcare players see big demand as Sinopharm vaccine is rolled out

• Clearbridge unit to purchase Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine for use in Singapore

• China's Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine could soon be available in Singapore

• Sinopharm's Covid-19 shot offers weaker protection among elderly