Covid-19 'vaccine injury financial assistance programme' to be introduced: Gan Kim Yong

WHILE safety is a top priority in Singapore's Covid-19 vaccination efforts, a vaccine injury financial assistance programme will also be introduced to provide peace of mind, Health Minister Gan Kim Yong said in a ministerial statement in Parliament on Monday.

Noting concerns raised by several members of Parliament, he gave assurance as to the safety and efficacy of the vaccine, noting the stringent approval process.

"The speed achieved is the result of a strong and concerted global response to a major pandemic, rather than a compromise of safety standards," he said.

As for the new, apparently more transmissible B117 strain from the UK, Mr Gan said that there is currently no evidence that the vaccines will be less effective against this strain.

Regarding side effects, based on current data, these are similar to those for other established vaccines and usually resolve on their own in a few days.

However, "as with all medications and established vaccines, there is a small risk of very rare but serious adverse events that may occur post-vaccination, including allergic reactions", he noted.

This is why the Health Sciences Authority and the independent expert committee have recommended that people with known severe allergies should not be vaccinated.

All vaccine recipients should be observed on-site for 30 minutes post-vaccination, so that any severe allergic reactions can be detected and treated promptly, he added.

The Ministry of Health (MOH) will also introduce a vaccine injury financial assistance programme, to provide support for persons "who suffer a serious adverse event that is assessed to be related to Covid-19 vaccines administered in Singapore".

"While we expect few to need this, the programme will give peace of mind to those taking the vaccination," said Mr Gan, adding that further details will be provided in due course.

Mr Gan also addressed other questions related to the vaccine. For instance, there is no need to separate donated blood from those who have received the vaccine and those who have not, as the vaccine does not cause infection.

Every person who is vaccinated will get a physical vaccination card, and will have their record updated in the National Immunisation Registry, which they can check digitally.

Though only the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine has been approved for use so far, if and when other vaccines are approved, individuals will not be given a choice of which to receive.

Instead, vaccine allocation will largely be based on "medical indications of the different vaccines", their suitability for different groups and availability, said Mr Gan.

"Any Covid-19 vaccine that is approved for use will have to meet the stringent safety and efficacy requirements. Allowing individuals to have choice of vaccines will unnecessarily complicate the already complex vaccination programme."

Member of Parliament for Yio Chu Kang Yip Hon Weng had asked if those who are not vaccinated would have their job scopes reviewed to reduce exposure to the virus. In most instances, this will not be necessary unless there is a resurgence of local cases, though all workers should still take necessary precautions such as mask-wearing, said Mr Gan.

But for specific cases such as researchers or laboratory staff working directly on the Covid-19 virus, or "those who face very high risk of exposure to infected individuals", the MOH and the Ministry of Manpower are reviewing the issue of vaccinating such workers, and will provide advice later.