As of late, the nation’s COVID-19 cases have continued to rise, reaching numbers we haven’t seen since the crucial start of the outbreak last year.
Thankfully, this year’s different – for we’re backed by an entire arsenal of vaccinations, with more than 80% of the population under its protection.
We’re pretty fortunate to be able to gain such relative access to them, too.
If you’re one of those who haven’t gotten your shot yet, though, there will soon be more available for everyone.
New Stocks Have Arrived
On 20 Sep 2021, it was revealed that a new batch of Sinovac vaccines has now arrived in Singapore, ready for distribution.
Health Minister Ong Ye Kung announced on Monday that 101,000 doses of the Sinovac vaccine were ordered and shipped to Singapore.
The new orders serve to assist private healthcare institutions and would benefit individuals who were allergic to the mRNA vaccines currently offered as part of the national vaccination program.
He added that thus far, 2% of the Singapore population have taken at least one dose of the Sinovac vaccine under the administration of MOH and some private clinics.
New stocks will be made available at the clinics in a few days’ time.
Popular Sinovac Vaccines
It’s been three months since the Sinovac vaccine has been made available here in Singapore, brought in under the Health Sciences Authority’s (HSA) Special Access Route.
The World Health Organisation had also declared the vaccine to be suitable for emergency use in the same month.
As such, private healthcare institutions including clinics here were able to bring the WHO-approved vaccine in, offering them to those who wish to choose the option instead and those who need to.
That includes people who previously showed allergic reactions to the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines, which utilise the mRNA technology unlike Sinovac – so it may not trigger adverse reactions.
Originally, the MOH had brought in 200,000 stocks of Sinovac vaccines, 170,000 of which were reserved for administration by private healthcare institutions, and the remaining reserved for those with allergies.
However, it was barely enough for the demand – resulting in MOH announcing that they would be ordering more stocks of the vaccine for these private healthcare institutions.
By the way, don’t underestimate what people would do just to get their hands on the Sinovac vaccine – there were people desperate enough to offer up $200 on Carousell in exchange just for a vaccine appointment slot.
Read Also:
- MOH Will Take Action Against People Who Sell Their Sinovac COVID-19 Vaccination Slots
- People Going on Carousell to Buy Sinovac Appointment Slots for Up to $200 a Jab
Feature Image: Facebook (Ong Ye Kung)
