7 more private clinics selected to offer Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine: MOH
File photo of Sinovac's COVID-19 vaccine. (Photo: AFP/Lillian Suwanrumpha)
SINGAPORE: Seven more private clinics have been selected to administer the Government's existing stock of Sinovac COVID-19 vaccines, said the Ministry of Health (MOH) on Friday (Jul 2).
This brings to 31 the number of private healthcare institutions that are allowed to offer the vaccine under the Special Access Route.
However, the seven clinics added to the list will not be able to take in new appointments from people wanting the Sinovac vaccine. They will instead help in "clearing the appointment lists" from the initial 24 clinics selected, said MOH.
The 24 clinics have been providing the Sinovac vaccine since Jun 18.
"Some of the group clinics in the current list of providers are now ready to ramp up their services to help improve the wait times for individuals on the clinics’ appointment lists," said the ministry.
"MOH has thus activated another seven clinics to provide the Sinovac vaccine. These additional clinics will assist in clearing the appointment lists from the 24 existing clinics and may not take in new appointments from those opting to take Sinovac."
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To avoid queues, those who want to take the Sinovac vaccine should call the clinics or visit their websites to book an appointment before heading down for vaccination, said MOH.
"Those who walk into the clinics without prior appointment will be turned away," the ministry said, adding that people should not crowd outside the clinics. They should keep to safe distancing measures at all times.
MOH reiterated that the Sinovac COVID-19 jab is not covered under the Vaccine Injury Financial Assistance Programme (VIFAP) that is meant for vaccines under Singapore's national vaccination programme - Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna.
The Sinovac vaccine remains unregistered and has not undergone a full evaluation for its safety and efficacy, said MOH.
"Individuals who wish to receive the Sinovac vaccine should discuss its risks and benefits with their doctors at these selected private healthcare institutions, and jointly make an informed decision," it added.
READ: Benefits of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines 'continue to outweigh' risks: Singapore expert committee
PRE-EVENT TESTING NEEDED FOR THOSE VACCINATED WITH SINOVAC
The Health Ministry also said that pre-event COVID-19 testing is still required for those who are vaccinated with Sinovac, as there is insufficient international data on the effectiveness of the Sinovac vaccine against the Delta variant.
"As the Delta variant becomes more dominant around the world and more data becomes available, we will make an objective assessment and review whether individuals who have received SAR (Special Access Route) vaccines can also be exempted from pre-event testing," said MOH.
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As previously mentioned by Health Minister Ong Ye Kung, the ministry said it plans to bring in other non-mRNA COVID-19 vaccines to be part of the national vaccination programme before the end of the year.
This is subject to supply and regulatory approval, and more details will be provided at a later date.
"If approved under our national programme, those inoculated with these vaccines will similarly be exempted from pre-event testing," said the ministry.
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