2nd COVID-19 Vaccine, the Moderna mRNA Vaccine, Approved for Use in S’pore

There are some things that are pretty much certain in 2021: you still can’t withdraw your CPF monies unless you’re 55 years old, you would be having Prosperity Burgers this Chinese New Year and the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine would be approved for use in Singapore.

We’ve already confirmed the first two points, and today, MOH announced the confirmation of the third point.

2nd COVID-19 Vaccine, the Moderna mRNA Vaccine, Approved for Use by HSA

Today, MOH said in a statement that the  Moderna COVID-19 vaccine is authorised for pandemic use by HSA, after the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.

Lest you’ve not been reading our articles (which you should by downloading the Goody Feed app here), Singapore has made a deposit for this vaccine since June last year, when many of us were still stuck at home.

MOH will progressively roll out the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for individuals aged 18 years and above when shipments of the vaccine arrive.

The first shipment is expected to arrive around March 2021 if there are no disruptions to the shipment schedule.

If you’d have noticed, there’s a difference in the minimum age: the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine is for people above 16 years old, while the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine is for people above 18 years old.

So remember: Pfizer-BioNTech is NC-16 while Moderna is M18.

More vaccines from both Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech will arrive over the course of the year.

MOH is still working on ensuring that there would be enough vaccines for all Singaporeans and long-term residents in Singapore by the third quarter of 2021.

As of 2 February 2021, more than 175,000 individuals have received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. About 6,000 of them have also received their second dose of the vaccine, and completed the full vaccination regimen.

About the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine

Known officially as the mRNA-1273, it’s recommended for people aged 18 years and older, and just like the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, two doses are required for a full protection.

However, unlike the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine whereby the doses should be given 21 days apart, the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine doses should be given 28 days apart.

The vaccine showed a 94% efficacy rate against COVID-19 and is 100% successful against the more serious cases.

The goody thing about this vaccine is that it can be stored easily; it can stay stable up to 12 hours at room temperature and up to 30 days at 2°C to 8°C, which is the normal refrigerator temperature.

If stored at -20 degrees Celsius, the vaccine remains stable for up to six months.

Conversely, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine must be stored at -70 °C, and can only be stored for up to five days at standard refrigerator temperatures.

You can read more about the vaccine here.

Featured Image: rafapress / Shutterstock.com