SINGAPORE (Reuters) – As Singapore prepares to introduce COVID-19 vaccinations, its striking success in controlling the virus raises the question of whether they should take the shots.
In a city-state where regulatory compliance is generally high, some Singaporeans fear that potential side effects – even minimal – are not worth the risk when the daily number of cases is close to zero and the number of fatalities down to the lowest in the world. world belongs.
“Singapore is doing quite well,” said Aishwarya Kris, who is in her 40s and doesn’t want a chance.
“I doubt the vaccine will help at all.”
A poll by the local newspaper The Straits Times in early December found that 48% of respondents said they will receive a vaccine when it is available and 34% will wait six to 12 months.
But the government is keen to open up more of the economy with the help of the vaccine in a country dependent on travel and trade, preparing for the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting next year.
“Singapore is a victim of its own success,” said Leong Hoe Nam, infectious disease expert at the city’s Mount Elizabeth Hospital.
To demonstrate that the vaccine is safe, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, 68, said he and his colleagues would be among the first recipients of the injections. They will be free and voluntary and will primarily be given to health workers and the elderly.
The first shipment of the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine arrived this week, and Singapore expects to have enough vaccines for all 5.7 million people by the third quarter of 2021.
The first vaccines will be given to priority groups such as health professionals in the next two months, but it will be some time before they are offered to the wider population, said Lawrence Wong, a minister who is co-leader of the Singapore virus task force.
“The rollout to the Singaporean population will also take place in several months, depending on factors such as the supply and delivery schedules of the vaccines,” he said.
“RESPONSIBLE TO DO”
Many Singaporeans said they are ready to take the photos – not just to ward off infections, but in the hope that they can travel again. For others it is a civic duty.
“I’m the one in the family who goes to work every day, so it’s a responsible business,” said Jeff Tan, a 39-year-old photographer.
Singapore acted quickly after the first cases of the virus were reported and, although blinded by tens of thousands of cases in migrant workers’ dormitories, it has caused infections again.
Singaporeans generally accept vaccines, with an uptake of nearly 90% from large injections in children, said Hsu Li Yang of Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health at the National University of Singapore.
But there are concerns about a new vaccine that uses new technology and is rapidly being developed and approved. Typically, vaccine acceptance takes time, he said.
Even three nurses told Reuters, on condition of anonymity, that they would rather not take the vaccine.
Singapore’s drug regulator said it granted approval after data submitted by Pfizer-BioNTech had been reviewed to demonstrate that the vaccine meets required safety, efficacy and quality standards, and that the benefits outweigh the known risks.
Pfizer’s vaccine has been linked to a few cases of serious allergic reactions as it has been rolled out in the UK and the United States. But it has not shown any serious long-term side effects in clinical trials.
John Han, a sales manager, said he wanted to wait for 80% of the population to take the vaccine without side effects.
‘If a choice is made, I may not take it. I don’t mind putting on the mask, be safe, avoid crowded places, ”says Han, 40.
Reporting by Chen Lin and Aradhana Aravindan in Singapore; Editing by Michael Perry