Singapore talking to AstraZeneca about vaccine
[SINGAPORE] Singapore's health authority said on Monday it was in talks with AstraZeneca about its coronavirus vaccine and had sought more information from Sinovac Biotech prior to using it vaccine for its immunisation drive.
Many Asian countries are now accelerating the rollout of AstraZeneca's vaccine despite a brief scare in Europe, where many countries temporarily halted its deployment over reports that it was linked to blood clotting.
"The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) had been in communication with various companies including AstraZeneca on their submission plans for Covid-19 vaccines," the authority said in a statement, adding that all vaccines are rigorously evaluated.
Singapore has so far been using the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna Covid-19 vaccines, with 792,423 doses administered so far.
Singapore took delivery of unspecified number of doses of Sinovac's CoronaVac last month, but has yet to grant it emergency use authorisation.
The health authority said it had requested more information from Sinovac "to assess if it can meet the required standards for quality, safety and efficacy", without elaborating.
A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU
Asean Business
Business insights centering on South-east Asia's fast-growing economies.
REUTERS
KEYWORDS IN THIS ARTICLE
BT is now on Telegram!
For daily updates on weekdays and specially selected content for the weekend. Subscribe to t.me/BizTimes
Economy & Policy
NTUC aims to do more to support PMEs, who now account for nearly half its membership
Daily Debrief: What Happened Today (Apr 25)
Singapore’s inflation eases more than expected in March, with headline inflation at 2.5-year low
8 in 10 firms in S-E Asia, Greater China positive about business environment: UOB survey
Flexi-work request guidelines not meant to prescribe blanket outcomes for employers or influence hiring of workforce: SNEF
Daily Debrief: What Happened Today (Apr 23)