Singapore – After announcing that the Chinese-made Sinovac-CoronaVac vaccine will be made available for use under the Special Access Route (SAR), Chinese netizens have explicitly criticised the government on the decision.
In a video, a man who appeared to be a Chinese national filmed himself while disparaging the Singapore government’s decision regarding the vaccine.
The man started by greeting “his friends in Singapore” then asked if they watched Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s recent speech on the Covid-19 situation in Singapore.
“You should pay attention to what he says about China vaccines,” said the individual.
The man then said that the “Sinovac and Sinopharm (vaccines) would be available soon” in Singapore.
However, he noted that the vaccines would only be available at private medical institutions. “The bad news is, you have to pay for it yourself.”
“It will not be cheap,” he added.
“Also, if you suffer from any side effects after using the China vaccines, the Singapore government will not be responsible,” said the individual.
He was referring to the Sinovac-CoronaVac vaccine not being covered by the Vaccine Injury Financial Assistance Programme (VIFAP), a financial assistance scheme for individuals who suffer from severe side effects after receiving a Covid-19 vaccine.
“We don’t know whether we should be happy or worried,” said the man. He said he “could not find the correct words” to express how he feels about the situation.
He questioned why it was “so difficult” to get vaccinated with a “made from China” vaccine even though “it is also a vaccine.”
“Is it because of the cost or because Singaporeans only compatible with “made in USA” vaccines?”
The man then reiterated points frequently highlighted by ultra-nationalists claiming that foreigners did not wish to see China rise.
“I believe there’s a complicated story behind Singapore’s choice of vaccines. As a PRC citizen working and living in Singapore, who is contributing to Singapore’s GDP, I know Singapore very resourceful, but you sure you want to be cocky now?” he asked.
He ended the video by saying that the “China vaccine is the best in the market.”
The Ministry of Health (MOH) announced on Friday (Jun 4) that it was including the Sinovac-CoronaVac vaccine under SAR, which allows Covid-19 vaccines approved by the World Health Organization for its Emergency Use List to be administered.
After applying to become licensed providers, private healthcare institutions can import and supply the unregistered vaccine for use in Singapore.
The private clinics will be allowed to draw on Singapore’s existing stock of 200,000 doses of the Sinovac-CoronaVac vaccine.
Furthermore, those previously rejected or are allergic to the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna mRNA vaccines can now opt for the Sinovac vaccine. The government will also reimburse them for the cost of the vaccination.
In response to such news, Chinese netizens took to various platforms such as Weibo to criticise the Singapore government for not including the Sinovac vaccine in its national vaccination programme, currently comprised of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines.
“Developed countries are still going for political vaccines,” said a netizen, while another noted, “they gotta please both sides.” /TISG
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