Targeted Comirnaty Covid shot may arrive by end-October, vaccinations still key: MOH
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PFIZER’S updated Comirnaty Covid-19 vaccine could arrive in Singapore by end-October, said Senior Minister of State for Health Janil Puthucheary in Parliament on Tuesday (Sep 19), as he warned that Covid-19 remains “a dangerous virus” kept at bay by vaccines.
The expert committee on Covid-19 vaccinations is reviewing data of the updated Comirnaty vaccine, which targets the current XBB 1.5 variant, and will give recommendations on who should receive it, he added.
The minister noted that the monovalent vaccine from Pfizer that targets current Omicron subvariants has recently been approved for those six months old and above.
“Our contracts with suppliers enable us to procure the latest vaccines once they are assessed to be appropriate for the local situation,” he said, replying to questions by Members of Parliament about Singapore’s continued Covid-19 measures.
“We were able to achieve Dorscon Green not because Covid-19 became a mild disease,” said Dr Puthucheary, referring to the lowest level of Singapore’s disease response framework.
Rather, the virus remains dangerous, but Singapore is now able to live with it thanks to strengthened resilience from vaccinations and a safe recovery from infections, he added.
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That is why maintaining such resilience is important, and the Ministry of Health (MOH) continues to strongly recommend a booster dose of the updated vaccine for those aged 60 and above, residents in aged-care facilities, and the medically vulnerable, one year after their last booster.
The additional dose is also available to healthy persons aged 12 to 59 this year, and remains free under the National Vaccination Programme.
Said Dr Puthucheary: “There are no plans to charge for Covid-19 vaccines, because vaccines still play a critical role in keeping Covid-19 at bay.”
In response to further questions about Singapore’s long-term Covid-19 strategy, he replied: “There is insufficient data to commit to a long-term vaccination strategy at this time.”
MOH will continue to monitor the situation and update recommendations based on expert advice and latest evidence, he added.
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