Those Who Receive the Sinovac COVID-19 Vaccine Will Still Have to Do Pre-Event Testing

Last month, when dining out was still illegal, the gahmen gave the green light to 24 clinics to administer the Sinovac vaccine.

The authorities stressed that Sinovac’s vaccine is not part of Singapore’s national vaccination regime and will therefore not be covered under the Vaccine Injury Financial Assistance Programme for COVID-19 Vaccination.

Based on evidence from other countries, the authorities added that the vaccine is not entirely effective at preventing infection.

Despite this, residents flocked to the approved clinics, with queues of over a hundred even forming outside one at Tampines.

Now, the gahmen has made another announcement that is sure to displease recipients of the China-made vaccine.

Those Who Receive the Sinovac COVID-19 Vaccine Will Still Have to Do Pre-Event Testing

Those who have received Sinovac’s COVID-19 vaccine will still have to undergo pre-event testing, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said today (30 June).

The ministry explained that Sinovac’s vaccine is among the COVID-19 vaccines that may lack sufficient documentation of it’s efficacy against COVID-19 infection, especially that of the Delta variant.

“Hence, from the public health point of view, individuals vaccinated with vaccines other than those in our COVID-19 national vaccination programme will still have to undergo pre-event testing,” it said.

On the other hand, those who are fully vaccinated with Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccines are exempt from pre-event testing before attending events such as live performances and wedding solemnisations.

MOH added that doctors are required to inform their patients receiving Sinovac’s vaccine that they may not be regarded in the same manner as those vaccinated under Singapore’s national programme.

With this information, patients will be better equipped to weigh the risks and benefits before arriving at a decision.

Questionable Efficacy 

Two weeks ago, the authorities revealed that Sinovac vaccine carries some risk of COVID-19 infection, based on evidence from other countries.

In Indonesia, for example, numerous reports have emerged of healthcare workers still getting infected even after receiving the Sinovac vaccine.

What’s more, other countries are considering booster shots for the Sinovac vaccine just six months after the original vaccination.

Comparted to Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna’s vaccines, which have an efficacy rate of around 90%, the most complete analysis of Sinovac’s vaccine shows it has a vaccine efficacy of 51%.

Sinovac has also failed to provide the Singapore authorities with sufficient data on the quality and safety profile of the vaccine, which is why it hasn’t yet been approved under the pandemic special access route.

Uses More Traditional Vaccine

Compared to Pfizer-BioNTech’s and Moderna’s vaccines, Sinovac’s vaccine uses a more traditional inactivated vaccine.

It works by using killed viral particles to expose the body’s immune system to the virus without triggering a serious disease response. This will then “teach” the body how to fight the virus the next time it encounters it.

This type of vaccine has been used to inoculate people against polio.

Conversely, Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech tap on a new technology called mRNA to make their vaccines.

This involves injecting part of the coronavirus’ genetic code into the body, triggering the body to produce viral proteins but not the whole virus. This trains the immune system to attack the virus.

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