Mr Ong Ye Kung, Singapore’s Minister of Health, marked the opening of the first five Joint Testing and Vaccination Centres (JTVC) in a Facebook post on Tuesday (May 24). He also wrote that over 2,600 people in Singapore have booked to receive the first dose of Novavax’s Nuvaxovid COVID-19 vaccine. The first shipment of the US-based Novavax vaccine arrived on May 4, and Mr Ong noted that “many who are not suitable for mRNA vaccine have” benefitted from it.
The Novavax vaccine has been considered a game-changer for two reasons: First, since it uses older technologies, it can help overcome hesitancy among those wary of mRNA vaccines or those who have been medically advised against them. Secondly, Novavax’s latest trials show that it has fewer and less serious side effects, which means a faster recovery time from the shots. For people who cannot afford to miss work, this could add additional incentives for getting vaccinated.
Unlike Pfizer and Moderna’s mRNA vaccines, Novavax uses an “older, more familiar science” that was also used in the development of vaccines for Hepatitis B and whooping cough (part of the vaccines administered to children).
The vaccine is produced by developing an engineered virus that contains a gene for a modified spike protein of the virus responsible for Covid-19.
In June of last year, Mr Ong said Singapore had put in an advance order for the vaccine, saying he hoped it would arrive before 2021 ended.
Novavax announced on Jun 14, 2021, that the vaccine had a 93.2 per cent efficacy against Covid-19 variants of concern and variants of interest identified by then, and that for other Covid-19 variants known at the time, the vaccine showed 100 per cent efficacy. It also showed a 91 per cent efficacy in high-risk populations.
The vaccine’s overall efficacy is an impressive 90.4 per cent, and had been touted as a “better” vaccine than others.
Mr Ong also explained in his post that the JTVCs are able to administer up to 4,500 vaccinations and some 2,000 ART/PCR tests a day, adding that five more centres will be ready by the end of next month.
“Some 130 have received the first dose of their primary series and about 550 were boosted with Nuvaxovid as of 23 May. As of noon, more than 2,600 people have booked an appointment to receive the vaccine.
Let’s continue to protect ourselves,” Mr Ong wrote.
“With these joint centres, we can return community clubs back to the community, and yet we stand prepared for any rapid changes in the COVID-19 situation,” he wrote. /TISG
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