Singapore — A netizen is asking Health Minister Ong Ye Kung to justify the “blanket booster requirements” against Covid-19 for everyone 12 and older.
The netizen signs off as “The Concerned in Singapore”.
Vaccination is not compulsory in Singapore, but from Feb 14, people who are 18 and older will need to have taken a booster shot within 270 days of completing their primary vaccination series in order to be considered fully vaccinated against Covid-19. The ministry had announced this on Jan 5.
The new rule will apply to those whose final vaccine dose was taken on May 20 last year or before, said Health Minister Ong Ye Kung at a multi-ministry task force press conference in January.
It is not clear why the netizen’s letter refers to people who are 12 and older when the ministry’s Jan 5 statement specifies that the rule applies to those who are 18 and older.
The letter cites “an infectious disease specialist Peter McIntyre” who is also mentioned by Senior Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam in a recent tweet. Professor McIntyre, is a member of the World Health Organisation’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts in immunisation.
In nine paragraphs, it makes reference to previous MOH announcements and edicts and argues the case for loosening up.
From the language used and the way in which the questions are phrased, it would seem that the writer may have had medical training or had some input from someone who is medically trained.
It is also possible that it originates from a group of vaccine-sceptic or anti-vaxxer groups known to be active in Singapore though the tone is more moderate and persuasive than such groups are known for.
This is the netizen’s letter:
Dear Minister Ong Ye Kung,
1. Thank you for working tirelessly for Singapore. Vaccines have saved countless lives, and have proven to remain very effective against severe illness & death (T-cell response remains robust etc). Needless to say, we are fully vaccinated.
2. Singapore’s own vaccine rollout has been very commendable and successful.
3. However, the case for blanket booster requirements (for all >12 years old) is not strong. Subjecting all fully vaccinated people to VDS after 270 days, and treating them the same as unvaccinated people is uncalibrated and disproportionate, given the proven and robust effectiveness of mRNA vaccines against serious illness. As infectious-disease specialist Peter McIntyre emphasises, it is protection against severe disease that must be the yardstick we judge ” by.
4. MOH has stated that the rationale of VDS is to protect the unvaccinated from serious illness, so that “they will not strain MOH’s resources“. Could MOH quantify and justify imposing VDS on un-boosted people after 270 days for each and every age group over 12, please?
5. For example:
a. What is the absolute risk of serious illness from Covid for people who have had 2 doses VS 3 doses, broken down by age group? We note that the risk of serious illness is meaningfully lower for Omicron than Delta.b. What is the absolute risk reduction of serious illness from taking a booster for each age group, especially for those under 50? (See Chart below)c. What is the absolute risk threshold for deciding when to impose VDS on various age groups?
d. For peak ICU capacity concerns, what is the estimated incremental benefit from imposing blanket booster requirements for each age group?
ACTIVE COVID PATIENTS THAT ARE SERIOUSLY ILL (Israel / Straits Times chart below and attached)6. Various thoughtful and credible voices have spoken out against blanket booster requirements. Two senior FDA officials resigned over blanket booster mandates and wrote publicly about their concerns. Ditto FDA vaccine advisor Dr Paul Offit.
7. We listened to and trusted the Government when we took two doses last year. We believed MOH when MOH said there will be “very little differentiation between the vaccinated and the unvaccinated” when the whole society is highly vaccinated and we have moved to living with Covid. This was said even though MOH had already written legislation mandating an expiry of our vaccinated status.
8. Furthermore, MOH failed to disclose this expiry period to the public, despite being asked explicitly about this matter in a PQ. We note that the current version of the Act suggests the validity extension from a third booster has an expiry date too.
9. The bluntness of VDS imposed on all un-boosted people (over 12) will destroy hard-earned public trust. There have been various sensible appeals for VDS to be more calibrated, all of which seem to fall on deaf ears. We urge MOH not to squander public trust.
The Concerned in Singapore
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of The Independent Singapore