Gan Kim Yong
Singapore
“Consumer complaints relating to the secondary resale market for tickets to major events and concerts have generally remained low. Nonetheless, to protect the public from scams on secondary ticket resale platforms, the Police have imposed Code of Practice requirements under the Online Criminal Harms Act to require designated online service…”
“Singapore does not condone the use of forced labour. We criminalise forced labour in Singapore under various laws. Relevant Government Ministries and agencies, such as the Ministry of Manpower, Ministry of Home Affairs and Singapore Police Force, play their part in investigating complaints of suspected breaches in domestic laws that relat…”
“The Association of Banks in Singapore (ABS) discontinued the PayNow nickname feature as scammers had been exploiting the use of nicknames to impersonate legitimate entities and trusted individuals.”
“As of end-2025, around 6,900 private residential buildings have registered their solar installations with SP Group for the export of excess solar-generated electricity to the grid. The installed solar capacity of these residential buildings is 115.3 megawatt-peak (MWp), or around 5.5% of all current installed solar capacity in Singapore.”
“The one-year pilot extension of liquor trading hours has seen strong interest from businesses. As of 31 May 2026, the Police have approved 88 applications for the extension of liquor trading hours from public entertainment outlets in these areas.”
“The Government does not make projections of domestic or regional demand for renewable diesel or sustainable aviation fuel. Demand depends on commercial considerations, evolving market conditions and regulatory developments across different jurisdictions.”
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“Our public healthcare institutions may provide some assistance using their own hospital charity fund, or offer instalment plans for payment where required, based on their medical social workers’ assessment.”
“Government subsidies at our public healthcare institutions are generally accorded to Singapore Citizens (SCs) and Permanent Residents (PRs). From 2012, subsidies in the inpatient setting were also extended to dependants of SCs and PRs who are Long-Term Visit Pass Plus (LTVP+) holders. While LTVP or Dependant Pass holders are not eligible for medical subsidies, some may be covered by their sponsors’ employee medical benefits or other private medical insurance plans. SCs and PRs may also tap on their MediSave to pay for the medical expenses incurred by LTVP or Dependant Pass holders who are their immediate family members, including parents, spouses, and children. Among a total of nearly 6 million MediSave withdrawals made within the past year, more than 500,000 were made on behalf of immediate family members; however, we do not track the number of LTVP or Dependent Pass holders specifically who have benefited from this provision. MOH receives fewer than 20 financing-related appeals each year from Singapore Residents for their sponsored dependants who are LTVP holders. Separately, our public healthcare institutions also receive appeals which are handled by their medical social workers. Healthcare insurance could serve to better protect LTVP or Dependent Pass holders from large hospitalisation bills. However, any mandatory requirement for healthcare insurance for these individuals will have to be carefully considered, as it is important to strike a balance between premium affordability and the benefits of insurance coverage. MOH will look into this further, including the approach for other long staying foreigners. LTVP or Dependant Pass patients who are facing financial difficulties may approach the medical social workers for assistance.”
“Our public healthcare institutions are committed to protecting and supporting healthcare workers to ensure a safe workplace environment. Members of the public are reminded through prominently displayed signages to treat our staff with respect and dignity, and that any form of verbal or physical abuse of our staff will not be tolerated. Besides the escalation procedures highlighted earlier, frontline healthcare staff are trained to assess and de-escalate potential conflicts in the first instance and manage abusive situations. In addition, our institutions have robust support systems in place to help healthcare staff cope with abuse and harassment cases. This includes helplines for affected staff, anonymised counselling support services on and off campus by institutions and community providers, and peer support programmes for staff. During COVID-19, there have also been concerns about our healthcare workers’ well-being due to the increased workloads and higher levels of stress that they face, and whether there is an adequate and effective social support system in place to ensure their psychological well-being. To cope with mental health issues, healthcare workers can tap on the counselling services, staff helplines, and peer support programmes highlighted earlier. To enhance the preparedness and resilience of staff coping with stressful situations, some institutions have also rolled out bite-sized training modules on stress management and regularly shared mental health tips with their staff. The Ministry will continue to work closely with our public healthcare institutions to monitor and introduce timely measures to enhance staff well-being.”
“MOH and our public healthcare institutions view all cases of abuse and harassment against our healthcare workers seriously. We adopt a zero-tolerance policy towards abuse and harassment of our healthcare staff and will not hesitate to take appropriate actions against persons who do so. Our healthcare workers deserve to work in a safe environment while they care for patients. Our institutions have established escalation processes for frontline healthcare workers who are verbally or physically harassed, including notifying their immediate superiors, referral to security officers on-site or reporting to the Police, if warranted by the situation. Our public healthcare institutions monitor and track all such incidents through their reporting information systems. While they are not required to report individual cases to MOH, the Ministry works with them to monitor the situation and review policies when needed. The Protection from Harassment Act (POHA) protects all individuals, including healthcare workers, from harassment. Public healthcare workers receive enhanced protection under Section 6 of the Protection from Harassment Act (POHA) while they are on duty. Based on data provided by our public healthcare institutions, the number of abuse/ harassment cases has been increasing over the past three years from about 1,080 in 2018 to about 1,300 in 2020. Over the same period, the number of cases of harassment or abuse of public healthcare workers while on duty that were reported to the Police, under Section 6 of the Protection from Harassment Act (POHA), has also similarly risen from 40 in 2018 to 58 in 2020. The Police do not specifically track reports made by healthcare workers for abuse or harassment while they are off-duty.”
“Reciprocal Green Lanes (RGLs) facilitate short-term essential business and official travel between Singapore and RGL counterpart countries/ regions. As of 26 December 2020, there have been close to 2,500 arrivals in Singapore via our seven RGLs. Table 1 shows the number of inbound travellers by RGL regions. As of 26 December 2020, two foreigners travelling via RGL have tested positive for COVID-19. Both cases arrived from Japan and were detected during the mandatory on-arrival COVID-19 test for RGL travellers. Foreigners who test positive for COVID-19 at their pre-departure test performed within 72 hours before departure for Singapore are not allowed to enter Singapore. The Ministry of Health does not have data on the number of foreigners who had positive pre-departure tests and thus cancelled their plans to travel to Singapore.”
“Embryo donation is a deeply personal decision influenced by many factors. The personal values and beliefs unique to the couple should be taken into careful consideration when the couple makes known their desire to donate their embryos. There have only been three couples who donated their embryos to other couples in the last five years. The low number does not allow a meaningful comparison of donation rates among various ethnicities. There is also limited demand for donated embryos as both the husband and wife must have defective gametes for embryo adoption to be considered, due to the requirement for Assisted Reproduction (AR) Centres to ensure a genetic link to one of the intended parents of the child is maintained wherever possible. Nonetheless, AR centres are required to provide counselling for couples before the start of any treatment, and to discuss, amongst other issues, the couple's wishes regarding the embryos that remain after their treatment is completed. When counselling and caring for the couple, doctors must respect their autonomy, in keeping with professional and ethical standards. Couples who wish to donate their remaining frozen embryos to other couples can do so, and the AR centres will facilitate the donation at the appropriate time.”
“Nursing home placements are prioritised for seniors who require help and supervision in three or more activities of daily living such as feeding and toileting, and have weak family support. The waiting time for a subsidised nursing home bed depends on the seniors' care needs, family preferences and available capacity. The median waiting time for a nursing home bed has remained stable at around one month. While awaiting nursing home placement, the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC) works with the seniors as well as their caregivers to identify alternative suitable care arrangements such as home-based and community services to support the senior. For example, seniors discharged from hospitals who require more time to finalise their long-term care arrangements may apply for the Interim Caregiver Scheme (ICS), which provides time-limited post-discharge support custodial care for seniors, six days a week and 10 to 12 hours a day. Seniors with care needs can also make use of home care services such as home medical, home nursing, home personal care, meals delivery and medical escort and transport services.”
“The Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS) enables Singaporeans to access affordable and essential primary care services, through the provision of subsidies for medical and dental care at participating general practitioner and dental clinics, such as the treatment of chronic conditions under the Chronic Disease Management Programme. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) plays a complementary role in our healthcare system and there are currently no plans to extend CHAS subsidies to TCM clinics. The Ministry of Health (MOH) supports TCM development through various ways, including funding and support for TCM capability development, continuing education and research. Charitable TCM establishments with Institution of Public Character (IPC) status also benefit from tax exemption and are eligible to receive tax deductible donations, which help them to provide affordable TCM services in the community.”
“Doctors issue medical certificates based on their clinical assessment and professional judgement on the illnesses and disabilities of the patients. The Singapore Medical Council’s Ethical Code and Ethical Guidelines provides guidelines that medical certificates must be issued to patients on proper medical grounds arrived at through good clinical assessment, and doctors must not take into consideration extraneous factors such as who pays for the consultation, what benefits the patients may receive or what employers’ preferences may be. Any worker can file a complaint with the Singapore Medical Council or Singapore Dental Council against a doctor or dentist respectively for providing insufficient duration of medical leave. Disciplinary actions may be taken against doctors for the inappropriate issuance of medical certificates. All employees, including blue collar workers and migrant workers, are protected by the Employment Act. They may also seek assistance from MOM if they are concerned that they have not been given sufficient medical leave.”
“From January to November 2020, the median appointment waiting time for subsidised patients at the public hospitals' Specialist Outpatient Clinics (SOC) ranged from 24 days to 35 days (see Table 1). The waiting time has trended downwards from the height of Circuit-Breaker period of 35 days in May to 25 days in November. Throughout the year, the hospitals have adopted various measures to improve access while balancing the healthcare resources to manage COVID-19 and safe management measures at the SOC. These measures include prioritising those with higher medical needs for earlier SOC appointment, providing tele-consultation for suitable patients, providing home-delivery of medications so that patients can be assured of sufficient supply of medications, regular case review by the doctor-in-charge and contacting the patients to check on their progress and offering earlier teleconsultation or in-person consultation at the SOC if needed. Referring polyclinics will also assist to refer patients to hospitals with shorter appointment waiting time. MOH is closely monitoring the appointment waiting time for patients and working with the hospitals to implement measures to enable more timely access to SOC care. MOH would like to thank all patients for their kind understanding during this exceptional period.”
“This question has been responded to via a Ministerial Statement by the Minister for Education, in his capacity as Co-Chair of the Multi-Ministry Task Force, on 4 January 2021.”
“This question has been addressed via Ministerial Statements by the Minister for Health and the Minister for Education, in their capacity as Co-Chairs of the Multi-Ministry Task Force, on 4 January 2021.”
“This question has been addressed via a Ministerial Statement by the Minister for Health, in his capacity as Co-Chair of the Multi-Ministry Task Force, on 4 January 2021.”
“Regular surveillance testing is one component of a broader set of measures to reduce the risk of transmission. The other components include strict infection prevention and control, safe distancing, visitor management and immediate testing of staff who show symptoms of acute respiratory infection. Symptomatic staff are also instructed not to return to work until they have recovered from their infection. A risk-based approach is adopted for surveillance testing, where services for more vulnerable seniors are prioritised. Given that seniors living in residential settings are frail and cared for in close confines, staff of residential care homes are regularly tested. We take a more calibrated approach to test staff of non-residential care settings and social services, as they serve seniors in the community who are generally less frail. For this group of staff, the Ministry of Health (MOH) and Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) conducted a one-time swab test in June 2020. We will review the need for regular surveillance testing in non-residential care settings if community infection rates increase.”
“Patients are only admitted to isolation rooms if there is a need to reduce the risk of infection spread to others. This includes patients with pneumonia, are suspect COVID-19 cases or are carriers of Multi-Drug Resistant Organisms (MDROs). The medical team will review the need for isolation and will de-isolate the patient once it is no longer necessary to do so. Hospital staff regularly monitor patients in isolation rooms and will identify those who are at higher risk or exhibiting signs of emotional or mental distress, especially the elderly patients, to enable timely assessment and intervention. Most elderly patients are able to stay in touch with their family through phones or other forms of technology. For those who are unable to do so, hospital staff will assist them to make regular contacts with their family through phone calls or videoconferencing. To minimise the mental health impact of isolation wards, hospitals ensure that they are also sufficiently engaged with access to various forms of media (e.g. television, radio and newspapers). Where clinical conditions allow, the ward staff will also engage the elderly patients in conversations or simple activities.”
“Clinical evidence shows that the rates of conception for a woman who undergoes Assisted Reproduction Technology (ART) treatment decreases with age, and are significantly lower after 40. Therefore, Government co-funding for ART is directed towards couples where the woman is below age 40 on their first attempt, to encourage couples to start their families and seek treatment early. To better support couples through this process, the ART co-funding scheme was enhanced in January 2020 to allow couples who have undergone assisted reproduction or intra-uterine insemination procedures before the wife turned age 40, to carry out up to two of the six co-funded ART cycles at age 40 or later. We will continue to monitor the clinical evidence and update the eligibility criteria where appropriate.”
“To that end, MOH has been working with our licensed healthcare institutions to develop an agreed set of common best practices to guide healthcare institutions in accepting external sponsorships. These guidelines will first be implemented in our public healthcare institutions in the first quarter of 2021, and will eventually be converted to a Code of Practice that applies to both the public and private healthcare sectors. Given these efforts, MOH is not currently considering a centralised reporting system for pharmaceutical companies’ payments and transfers of value to healthcare professionals. Instead, we will continue to work with healthcare institutions to ensure that their employees act in accordance with professional obligations and organisational policies. We welcome any feedback on improper practices and such reports will be investigated accordingly.”
“Healthcare professionals are required under professional standards to act in the interest of their patients and not be unduly influenced by such third parties. For example, in the Singapore Medical Council’s (SMC) Ethical Code and Ethical Guidelines (ECEG), where financial interests or business relationships compete with a doctor’s professional duty towards patients, the doctor must prioritise the patients’ interests and not let business and financial considerations influence the objectivity of their clinical judgement. Larger healthcare institutions, such as hospitals, institute organisational policies relating to sponsorships from and relationships with pharmaceutical companies, to ensure that employees maintain the highest standard of integrity, retain clinical objectivity in patient care, and are transparent in their conduct. MOH and its Statutory Boards have similar governance frameworks to safeguard against conflicts of interest for healthcare professionals. In addition, Pharmaceutical companies work within the Singapore Association of Pharmaceutical Industries (SAPI) to promote ethical practices and self-regulation amongst its members through their acceptance and adherence to the SAPI code of conduct. SAPI also updates healthcare professionals, institutions and associations on significant changes to the code, and seeks their support to implement these changes. SAPI is a private association, and MOH does not monitor compliance to the SAPI Code and does not have information regarding violations of the code. Safe and appropriate prescribing of medication without undue influence requires effective collaboration between MOH healthcare professionals, institutions and industry associations.”
“In October 2019, the Ministry of Health introduced the Home Caregiving Grant (HCG) to provide additional support for long-term caregiving needs in the community. The HCG provides a monthly $200 cash grant to defray the costs of caregiving for eligible individuals with permanent moderate disability. The HCG replaced the Foreign Domestic Worker (FDW) Grant of $120 per month, which could only be used to defray the cost of hiring an FDW. The HCG can be used flexibly for caregiving expenses, for example, to hire an FDW, for the use of eldercare services, or for transport to medical appointments. The HCG is one of many financial support measures that can help to defray caregiving costs and other expenses. Other support measures include means-tested subsidies for long-term care services and subsidies for assistive devices and home healthcare items via the Seniors’ Mobility and Enabling Fund. For severely disabled Singaporeans, other schemes such as CareShield Life and MediSave Care also provide monthly cash payouts. Families who need further help with caregiving expenses can approach the AIC Link or the Social Service Office for further assistance.”
“This means that with the CTG, caregivers need only pay the minimum co-payment of $10 for these courses. We will continue to review various aspects of training support to ensure that caregivers can be better equipped in their role.”
“The Caregivers Training Grant (CTG) provides an annual subsidy of $200 for caregivers to attend approved courses to improve their caregiving skills. Since its launch, we have seen a general increase in utilisation, from around 7,000 caregivers in 2013 to nearly 9,000 in 2019. In particular, recipients of the Foreign Domestic Worker Grant (FDW Grant), which had a mandatory training requirement for foreign domestic workers, made up the bulk of CTG applications. In October 2019, the Home Caregiving Grant (HCG) replaced the FDW Grant. The HCG provides financial support which can be used flexibly to defray caregiving expenses for persons with permanent moderate disability, and it is not tied to any training requirement. Since then, and given the ongoing COVID-19 situation, we have seen a drop in the number of caregivers tapping on CTG. From Jan to Nov 2020, around 2,000 caregivers have utilised the CTG. We encourage caregivers to make full use of their annual CTG allowance, to improve their skills and knowledge. Caregivers can easily access training opportunities through the multiple touchpoints currently. Specifically, there are more than 200 different approved courses offered by more than 50 CTG training providers. These courses are conducted via different modes, e.g. in the care recipient’s home, at a training centre or online, and allow caregivers to learn at their own convenience. Caregivers may find out more from AIC’s e-course catalogue. We welcome new CTG training providers, as well as new course types and models to cater to the varied needs of caregivers and their care recipients. Currently, caregiver training remains affordable with the help of the CTG. Over 70% of the CTG approved courses cost $200 and below.”
“Personal protective equipment (PPE) acts as a barrier against potentially infectious contaminants such as blood, body fluids, or respiratory secretions. To effectively protect the wearer from potentially infectious contaminants, PPE will need to meet certain standards e.g. N95 respirators and surgical masks need to be fluid resistant amongst other parameters, and medical gowns will require a certain degree of liquid barrier performance based on Association of the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) standards. To ensure that staff do not suffer from thermal strain or fatigue from prolonged PPE use, healthcare institutions and community care sites have put in place mitigating measures such as exempting pregnant staff and staff with underlying medical conditions from the COVID-wards and other areas where they will be required to be in full PPE for long hours. In addition, the duration of working shifts has been adjusted to ensure that healthcare workers do not have to wear PPE for long hours. Healthcare workers are also encouraged to have sufficient rest, get hydrated at regular intervals, and to speak up should they feel unwell.”
“So, we would not be able to squeeze everyone into the polyclinics for vaccination and that is why we also will need vaccination centres. We will also be working with private General Practitioners (GPs) clinics to help us to administer the vaccine, especially for those who are less mobile and will need to get to a clinic that is nearby. We will work with the private clinics as well. Having said that, we have to bear in mind that this particular vaccine – the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine – is quite challenging to handle. As you are aware, it requires ultra cold-chain, minus 80 degree Celsius and it needs very careful handling during the administration of the vaccine to the individual. It is not so easy to make it available conveniently at all the private clinics. We will need to work with specific clinics and specific chains as well as work with specific, selected vaccination sites so that we are able to construct the infrastructure that is needed for this extra cold-chain storage and administration. For nursing homes and senior care centres – yes, we will make special arrangements to make sure that we are able to vaccinate them because many of them are not mobile. We are planning to set up mobile vaccination teams that will be deployed to some of these nursing homes and senior care centres to provide vaccination services for them.”
“Thank you. I think there are quite a number of vaccines that we are currently evaluating. I would not be at liberty to go into details of which are the vaccines that we are evaluating. It also depends on the data that we are able to get. HSA has now adopted a progressive rolling review approach. As and when data is made available, publicly or bilaterally from the manufacturer, we review them and we get ourselves updated as much as possible so that when the application is made by the manufacturer for the vaccine to be registered, we will then be ahead of time to be able to make a quick assessment, rather than to start from scratch. Therefore, we do this rolling review approach in order for us to speed up the approval process. So, I would say that most of the vaccines that are currently being developed, HSA has been keeping a watch on them, and is assessing and reviewing the data as and when they become available. As and when the vaccine has applied for registration, we will then go into a full swing evaluation. I would not be able to share what are the vaccines that have applied, beyond the three that I have mentioned earlier. The other question that where would vaccination sites be, I would say that we will generally take into account accessibility and convenience for those who are receiving the vaccination. For the healthcare workers, most of them will receive the vaccination within their healthcare institutions. They have an existing system to vaccinate their staff and we will tap on those. For the general public, we will set up vaccination centres across the island. We will also tap on the polyclinics that are available, operating today, but bearing in mind that the polyclinics also have their usual patients that they need to attend to.”
“Thank you. We will continue to monitor the mutations of the virus. I think the scientists around the world are watching and monitoring carefully. As I mentioned in my speech, mutation happens from time to time. In fact, it happens quite regularly as the virus, basically, is like a photocopying machine so it copies itself and every time it makes copy, it will be slightly different from the version previously. There will be some specks here and there, some dots here and there that are different. That is how photocopying works. By and large, up to today, there has not been evidence to show significant shift in the severity of the virus or the impact on the effectiveness of the current vaccines that are being approved or reviewed in Singapore. So, we continue to monitor. It is possible that one day, the virus may mutate and we may need to modify our vaccine in order to respond to the new virus. With the current vaccines that have already been developed, I think it will facilitate the development of the new vaccines if it becomes necessary to respond to new strains of the virus, particularly, with the platform of mRNA, it is much easier for us to replicate, to produce new vaccines in response to variations or mutations in the virus.”
“There was a second question with regard to our senior public servants and the politicians, whether we should take the lead. In fact, we will be taking the lead. As the Prime Minister has said, he will be among the first when his cohort comes. At the same time, we also do not want to be accused of jumping the queue, that we go ahead of the others. Therefore, we have to manage the process to ensure that the first priority is given to the healthcare workers because they are exposed and they are at risk. Every day, they see the patients and care for the patients, they themselves are exposed to potential infection. And therefore, the priority must be given to the healthcare workers first and we are focusing on that. Among the healthcare workers, Prof Leo Yee-Sin who is the CEO of NCID, was among the first batch to get vaccinated. That is how she demonstrates her leadership and confidence in the vaccine. So, I think when our turn comes, I am sure all my colleagues would be very happy to step forward to get vaccinated.”
“Just to add to Minister Wong's comments. From MOH's point of view, at the moment, that is not the important question to ask. The important question, the important issue is to please get vaccinated. So, do not worry too much about what if you are not vaccinated. Focus on encouraging your constituents, "Please go ahead and get vaccinated." Reassure them that we have gone through thorough assessment on the safety and efficacy of the vaccines. We encourage all of you to get vaccinated when your turn comes.”
“Sir, for the second question, it is in my speech. So, I think I have answered the question, in order not to waste time for the House. On the first question, I would strongly discourage those below 16 to volunteer for vaccination, primarily because the initial clinical trial did not include those below 16. So, if you do take the vaccine, you will be taking a risk. And I am sure my healthcare professionals would not be in a position to give you a vaccine that has not been authorised for use. So, I would say, please, do not get vaccinated if you are below 16. We are monitoring. The trials are on-going, manufacturers are continuing to trial on the people below 16. When the data is available, and we are able to verify that they are safe and efficacious for those below 16, we would roll it out for those below 16.”
“Sir, let me address the first question on the long-term side effects for pregnant women. Minister Lawrence Wong can deal with TraceTogether token. In my speech, I explained that specifically for pregnant women, because the data is insufficient for the time being, therefore, we have advised pregnant women not to be vaccinated for the time being. We are continuing to do research to study the effects on pregnant women. The manufacturers are doing that. As data emerges, we will look at the data and reassure ourselves whether it is safe for pregnant women to take the vaccination. That is a safety precaution we are putting in place. They are also looking at indications even from a short-term reaction to see whether they are likely to have long-term effects on a pregnancy. These are the part of the scientific work that is on-going. Rest assured that HSA as well as the Expert Committee will take into account all these data before recommending vaccinations for pregnant women.”
“We aim to be as transparent as possible, even side effects, adverse events, we share with everyone so that we can all collectively make an informed decision. So, I think it is important to be transparent, so that we can maintain the trust between the Government and the people and so that we can embark on this vaccination programme together as a country.”
“Thank you. Let me say that we hope that more than 60% of Singaporeans – in fact, ideally, everybody in Singapore – should be vaccinated. Therefore, regardless of whether it is 60% or 70%, we must work hard to try to get the last person to get vaccinated. The Government alone cannot do this. We need everyone to chip in to help – the professionals counselling your patients and their family members to get vaccinated and Members of Parliament going down to the ground, persuading their constituents to step forward and get vaccinated. I think we want to push the coverage to as high as possible a level, so that we provide protection especially for those who cannot be vaccinated because of medical conditions and/or for various reasons; and there are some for whom the vaccine may not be effective because effectiveness is 95% for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. Therefore, we need to protect them by making sure that all of us are vaccinated to the extent possible. I urge Members to continue to help us to share this message that we want to encourage Singaporeans to step forward to get vaccinated. With regard to Sinovac or any other vaccine that has not been approved, my advice is, do not wait for them because we do not know when they will be available and we also do not know whether they will be approved at all. Because until we have the full information, until we have completed the review, I cannot assure you that these vaccines will be available in the short term or even in the long term. So, let us not depend on something that is far away. Focus on what we have today, that is the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and get vaccinated. When additional vaccines are available, we will share the details with Singaporeans including the safety efficacy data and everything.”
“Thank you. I thought I have answered the question on quantity. I will not be able to give a specific number but suffice to say that we have secured a sufficient quantity for the whole population. Our strategy is also to ensure that we have a portfolio of vaccines and not just rely on a single supplier. Today, we have approved the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and we are continuing to evaluate two other vaccines that I have mentioned in my speech. With regard to the second question, I am not quite sure what the question was about. How do we administer the vaccine if there are different types? As I have mentioned, it will be based on the assessment. If there are significant contra-indications for a specific vaccine that, say, for example, is not suitable for young children and another vaccine is suitable, then we will use the vaccine that is suitable for young children, depending on the indication that is provided by the manufacturer. But if the indications are similar, then it will also depend on the availability of the vaccines at the point in time, whichever stock is available. So long as we are able to administer them, we would use the vaccine that is available to us. The key is that whatever the source of the vaccine, all of them must meet our safety efficacy requirements. From a safety and efficacy point of view, they should be treated similarly. But at the same time, as the Member has pointed out, we do provide information on these vaccines. I think HSA's assessments are published, reports are available and the manufacturers also shared a lot of details with regard to the potential side effects of these vaccines and I have mentioned some of the side effects in my Statement earlier.”
“Thank you. On the delivery of our advance order for vaccines – there is always a risk of non-delivery or a delay in delivery. So, we are in close contact with our manufacturers that we have entered into contract with and we are monitoring their delivery schedule, and if our vaccination programme has to be adjusted. We are also looking forward to more vaccines being approved so we have alternatives. We want to make sure that we diversify our sources of vaccines so that even if one shipment is delayed, we have access to other supplies. This way, we ensure that we have adequate vaccine supplies for the whole of Singapore. With regard to the questions on travel, I will leave them to my Co-Chair to respond.”
“We need to do this continuously for a prolonged period of time – usually one year, two years or maybe longer – so as to give us assurance of the long-term effect of this vaccine. This is part of the reason why HSA has not given a full authorisation because a full authorisation will require these long-term data to be available before we do so. But in view of the pandemic that we are facing today, HSA has given an interim approval for the use of this vaccine, accepting the fact that long-term data will only be available in the long term and we will need to continue to monitor and to make our assessment in the long term.”
“Thank you. First, on the question of efficacy threshold, it is true that WHO and the US, have a threshold of 50%. We, too, have a minimum threshold of 50%. But I think that the efficacy threshold has to take into account the potential risk that the vaccine may create, the potential risk of adverse incidents, as well as other factors. So, it is not a clear-cut threshold that once it is 50.1%, we will approve it. If there is greater uncertainty, then we will require a higher level of efficacy for us to be assured of the benefits versus the risks. We also have to take into account the current situation of the pandemic. If it is a very severe pandemic, then it is important for us to ensure that we vaccinate our population as quickly as possible and, therefore, we may have to accept a lower threshold of efficacy. If the pandemic is less severe – low mortality and so on, we may require a higher level of efficacy. Basically, it is a balance of benefits and risks. So, it is a holistic assessment that HSA's experts will have to take into account in coming to a conclusion whether or not it will be approved for use. It is not just a single number. Secondly, Ms Sylvia Lim asked about the meaning of "interim approval" and what long-term data we are looking at. Because this vaccine has been made available only in recent months and it has only been applied for a couple of months, we still need to monitor how it is applied in real life. Manufacturers are required to report any adverse incidents that happen so that we can keep track of the performance of the vaccine on the ground as well as the potential risks that it may carry.”
“First, let me thank Dr Lim Wee Kiak for his enthusiasm and his strong support for our vaccination programme. In fact, I do agree with him. Our objective is to roll out our vaccination programme as quickly as possible, but we have to bear in mind that we have limited supplies, we need to progress based on the supplies that we can receive. Secondly, I must also stress that we did not rest over the Christmas or the New Year. The key reason for our approach is to adopt a cautious one because vaccination is a very complex process, particularly bearing in mind that we need to ensure the ultra cold-chain is intact to ensure the quality and efficacy of the vaccine will not be affected. So that is one. Next, we also want to make sure the safety of those who are receiving the vaccination, making sure that there is a proper queuing system, they are registered properly, and data are captured accurately. It is quite a complex situation. We conducted a trial recently, last week. And we will be rolling out full-scale vaccination for the healthcare workers. Hopefully, soon we will be able to make it available to Speaker as well as Members of Parliament. It is important that we also roll out for the rest of Singaporeans. So, I agree with Dr Lim and I am equally anxious to cover as many Singaporeans as possible. I look forward to Members to help support our effort and to convince your constituents to step forward when their turn comes for the vaccination.”
“I take the Member's point that there will be different groups that have an interest and that require protection. We will see how we can manage our vaccination programme to meet their needs. But bearing in mind that the priority is still to protect our healthcare system, our healthcare workers and the next priority are the seniors, who are vulnerable to severe outcomes.”
“Thank you. I would like to thank Dr Tan for his questions and clarification. In fact, these are issues that the Multi-Ministry Taskforce is discussing. We are also consulting the expert committee on vaccination on how to deal with the various priorities. As I mentioned earlier, the key priority today is to focus on healthcare workers because they are at the frontline and they are dealing with the patients and some of them could be, in fact, infected with COVID-19. So, our priority is to first protect the healthcare workers, ensure they can continue to preserve our healthcare system. Secondly, we look at those who are at a high risk of a severe outcome, should they be infected. This includes vulnerable seniors. Therefore, this is the second group that we will be focusing on. Beyond this, we are also looking at different categories of people including key entities like our military, our Police force, which are very important in ensuring law and order, and national security, as well as our foreign representatives, our embassies overseas, particularly in countries where there is a high prevalence of COVID-19. They are protecting Singapore's interests and we should find ways to protect them as well. So, all these are factors that will be taken into consideration. But as the Member pointed out, there are many groups and many of them are also facing challenges. We do want to protect them as much as possible. So, the key really is to expand our vaccination as quickly as possible to cover as many people as possible. If it is your turn, please come forward and get vaccinated, do not wait. This is the only way for us to protect individuals as well as to protect one another.”
“However, the facts are that only two of the six individuals were given the vaccine and the other four were given the placebo. Investigations revealed that there was no causal relationship between the vaccine and the two individuals’ deaths. Spreading such misinformation undermines our efforts to protect Singapore and Singaporeans against COVID-19. Let me conclude. We have come a long way in the past year. We have been through the circuit breaker. Many have missed their vacations for the whole year. We have had to learn and manage with safe distancing measures when we are out and about. It is only through everyone’s concerted efforts that local transmission is now low in Singapore. However, the global situation is still far from under control. Vaccinations will be a key enabler for us to return to normalcy. We have secured enough vaccines for the whole population. Every vaccine will meet all our safety and efficacy requirements before being approved for use. And I strongly encourage all Singaporeans and long-term residents to get vaccinated when the vaccine is offered to you, to protect yourselves and your loved ones. This will be the key focus of the MTF over the next few months. Let us all do our part, so we can overcome and emerge stronger together. [Applause.]”
“Mr Louis Chua asked if individuals will be given a choice of vaccines when more than one has been approved for use. The allocation of vaccines will largely be based on medical indications of the different vaccines and the suitability of the vaccine for the different population groups, as well as availability of the vaccines. Any COVID-19 vaccine that is approved for use will have to meet the stringent safety and efficacy requirements. Therefore, it is not necessary to allow individuals to have choice of vaccines, which will unnecessarily complicate the already complex vaccination programme. Anyway, in the immediate term, only the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine has been approved for use. So, there is no choice. Mr Alex Yam and Ms He Ting Ru asked about our public communications strategy. Government agencies have been using various channels to understand public sentiments on the COVID-19 vaccines, including ground outreach and surveys. Our findings showed that more than half – close to 60% – say they would get vaccinated if a vaccine becomes available in Singapore. About a third were more cautious, saying they would prefer to wait for more data before deciding. We will continue our efforts to reach out to our population to explain the importance of vaccination and to assure them of the safety and efficacy of the vaccines we are using. I hope parliamentary colleagues will also help to share the information with your constituents. I would also like to urge everyone to refer to official or credible sources of information and not to forward unconfirmed or untrue information. For example, there were claims that six people had died due to the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine during clinical trials.”
“To ensure access to the vaccine, COVID-19 vaccination will be free for all Singapore Citizens, Permanent Residents and long-term residents in Singapore, which includes Employment Pass, S Pass, and Work Permit holders, Foreign Domestic Workers, and Dependent Pass, Long-Term Visit Pass and Student Pass holders – totalling about 5.7 million people. This excludes Short-Term Visit Pass holders, such as tourists. I understand Mr Yip Hon Weng would like to know whether those who are not vaccinated will have their job scopes reviewed, in order to reduce exposure to the virus. In most instances, redeployment of non-vaccinated employees is unlikely to be necessary, unless there is a resurgence of local cases. But all workers should continue to take the necessary precautions such as mask-wearing, and where required, donning of Personal Protective Equipment or PPE, and undergoing Rostered Routine Testing or RRT. That said, there may be specific cases such as researchers or laboratory staff working directly on the COVID-19 virus or those who face very high risk of exposure to infected individuals. MOH and MOM are reviewing the issue of vaccination of workers in such workplace settings and will provide further advice later. Ms Foo Mee Har asked if individuals will be issued vaccination cards after receiving the COVID-19 vaccination. Every person who is vaccinated will receive a physical vaccination card and this will help remind them of their appointment to return for their second dose, indicate clearly which vaccine was administered and provide brief post-vaccination advice. In addition, any person who is vaccinated will have their record updated in the National Immunisation Registry, and individuals will be able to check their vaccination status digitally.”
“Mr Dennis Tan asked whether there will be a need to separate blood collected from donors who have and have not received COVID-19 vaccinations. There is no need to do so. The COVID-19 vaccine does not cause infection. While the COVID-19 vaccination will be voluntary, we strongly encourage everyone who is medically eligible to get vaccinated when the vaccine is offered to you. This will not only provide protection to yourself, but also indirectly protect those who cannot be vaccinated due to medical reasons. This collective protection would be more effective the more are vaccinated. In turn, we can keep the number of cases low, minimise the stress on our healthcare system, ensure that those who are ill get the treatment that they need and allow us to return to normalcy sooner. Some may feel that there is no urgency to get vaccinated given the current low number of community cases and the local situation is under control. We must not be complacent or wait till an outbreak and then rush to be vaccinated. We have seen a few community cases in the last few days, which shows clearly that there are hidden cases among us. We are also seeing new variants that are more contagious. Any of these cases has a risk of sparking a major outbreak as we have seen in other countries. The best time to vaccinate is now. If people wait until an outbreak has happened to get themselves vaccinated, it will be too late – both to protect themselves and to prevent the outbreak in the first place. As the Prime Minister has said, we have every confidence in our experts and the process that has been put in place. The Prime Minister and our Cabinet colleagues, including myself, will lead on this. We will be getting vaccinated as early as possible when our turn comes.”
“These are similar to side effects for other established vaccines and they usually resolve on their own in a few days. As with all medications and established vaccines, there is a small risk of very rare but serious adverse events that may occur post-vaccination, including allergic reactions. HSA and the Expert Committee have therefore recommended that those with known severe allergies should not be vaccinated. All vaccine recipients should also be observed on-site for 30 minutes post-vaccination, so that any severe allergic reactions such as anaphylaxis can be detected and treated promptly. MOH will also introduce a vaccine injury financial assistance programme to provide support for persons who suffer a serious adverse event that is assessed to be related to COVID-19 vaccines administered in Singapore. While we expect few to need this, the programme will give a greater peace of mind for those taking the vaccination. Further details on the programme will be provided in due course. In addition, HSA requires vaccine manufacturers to submit new information continually for active review. HSA and the Expert Committee will also continue to monitor and review the efficacy and safety of COVID-19 vaccines in the local population and internationally. This includes data on specific population subgroups such as those below age of 16, persons with immunosuppression, or pregnant women that were excluded from initial clinical trials. HSA and the Expert Committee will also look at long-term safety data to detect rare and severe adverse events, and study the durability of protection provided by the vaccines. This on-going monitoring is the norm expected for any vaccines that first come into use.”
“The Expert Committee has assessed that the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine demonstrated a high vaccine efficacy of 95% in reducing symptomatic COVID-19 disease among persons aged 16 and older and its safety profile is consistent with that of other established and registered vaccines used in immunisation against other diseases. Mr Melvin Yong asked whether there is any data to show that the current COVID-19 vaccines are effective against the new strain seen in the UK and Europe. Mutations occur in viruses naturally and different strains can emerge from time to time, especially in a long-drawn pandemic. While this B.1.1.7 strain from UK does appear to be more transmissible, there is currently no evidence that current COVID-19 vaccines are less effective against this strain. Experts have said that it is unlikely that mutations would impact effectiveness of current vaccines. Vaccine producers such as Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna have also come forward to reassure that their vaccines should protect against the B.1.1.7 variant, and are undertaking studies to formally confirm this. MOH will evaluate the data as it emerges and review our vaccine strategy and border measures, if necessary. Miss Cheng Li Hui, Mr Lim Biow Chuan and others have asked about potential side effects. Both HSA and the Expert Committee have studied the data, from clinical trials as well as actual experience from vaccinations carried out in other countries. They have factored this into their evaluation before granting authorisation or making a recommendation on the use of COVID-19 vaccines. Based on data available today, people who receive the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine may experience side effects such as pain in the injection site, fatigue, fever, muscle aches, or headaches.”
“The data that has been reviewed includes those from pre-clinical studies done in laboratories, clinical trials on human volunteers, manufacturing and quality controls as well as the on-going experience with the actual use of the vaccines. The assessment and recommendations for the vaccines are also reviewed by HSA's Medicines Advisory Committee and Panel of Infectious Diseases Experts. HSA will only allow a COVID-19 vaccine to be used if it is assessed to be sufficiently efficacious and safe for use and only if the benefits of the vaccine are assessed to outweigh the risks of any potential adverse effects from the vaccination. HSA has put the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine through this rigorous review process and has authorised its use. The Moderna and Sinovac vaccines are also currently undergoing the review process. Following HSA's approval, the independent Expert Committee appointed by MOH has also reviewed the clinical data on the safety and efficacy of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and has been briefed by HSA on the full range of considerations in granting interim authorisation. The Expert Committee concurs with HSA – that the vaccine is suitable for use in Singapore, for persons aged 16 years and above, for the prevention of COVID-19. In assessing the suitability of vaccine candidates for specific population groups, the Expert Committee took into consideration four key criteria – vaccine safety, vaccine efficacy, vaccine tolerability and data adequacy of clinical trials.”
“More information on how to make the booking will be provided later. We encourage everyone to come forward for your vaccination when your turn comes so that we can increase our coverage as soon as possible. We should also bear in mind that some vaccines, such as the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, will require two doses, 21 days apart, and it will take up to another 14 days after the second dose to achieve maximum protection against the virus. At the same time, we will test our systems thoroughly before ramping up to ensure that vaccination operations proceed smoothly and patient safety is not compromised. There were several questions from Members, including Ms Foo Mee Har and Ms Sylvia Lim, on the safety and efficacy of the vaccines. These concerns are understandable, given the extraordinary speed at which the COVID-19 vaccines have been developed and brought to the market. The speed achieved is the result of a strong and concerted global response to a major pandemic rather than a compromise of safety standards. Let me assure you that the safety and well-being of Singaporeans is the top priority in our vaccination efforts. First of all, the vaccine must be approved by HSA. Under HSA's Pandemic Special Access Route (PSAR), HSA's scientific and clinical experts apply strict international standards to assess COVID-19 vaccines to ensure that they meet the stipulated high standards of quality, safety and efficacy. These standards are the same as those used for full vaccine evaluations except that long-term data from clinical trials will only be evaluated later as the data becomes available.”
“We plan to start vaccinating our elderly and those at greater risk of severe disease from COVID-19 infection starting from February 2021, beginning with seniors aged 70 and above. We will also prioritise others who are in jobs or settings where risk of super-spreading events is high, such as the construction, marine and process sectors, including migrant workers. Thereafter, we will progressively broaden our vaccinations to include other Singaporeans and long-term residents who are medically eligible. As more vaccines are approved for use, we will adjust our vaccination programme, depending on the vaccine supply as well as the disease epidemiology at that point in time. The national effort to vaccinate the population will require considerable resources to implement. This is one of our key focus areas this year. The last time we did a vaccination of this scale was in 1959, in response to an outbreak of smallpox where slightly over one million people were vaccinated. The scale of the current effort is larger but we are also much better prepared. We started planning for this very early on. We have put in place end-to-end processes to meet the cold-chain logistics requirements – from delivery and receipt at the airport, through to storage and then transport to vaccination sites – so that the quality and efficacy of the vaccines are not compromised. While our healthcare workers are receiving their vaccinations within their healthcare institutions, we are concurrently readying clinics and vaccination centres for others to be vaccinated when it is their turn. Prior bookings will be necessary, given the cold-chain requirements at the vaccination sites and multi-dose vials of the vaccines. It will also ensure operational efficiency and minimise individual wait times.”
“This is an important milestone and we are beginning to see the light at the end of this very long tunnel. Dr Lim Wee Kiak and Mr Louis Chua asked about the number of vaccines that we have secured. I am not at liberty to disclose the specific quantity ordered due to commercial sensitivities and confidentiality undertakings in our advance purchase agreements with the vaccine manufacturers. However, I can assure Members that we have secured enough vaccines for all Singaporeans and long-term residents in Singapore. A team headed by the Head of Civil Service led the efforts and undertook this very urgent, complex and difficult task. The vaccines will arrive in Singapore in batches, given high global demand, especially from countries with high rates of infection. Pharmaceutical companies will also need time to scale up vaccine production and distribution. Following the first shipment of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine at the end of last year, we are expecting more deliveries in the next few months, including from Moderna and Sinovac. If all goes according to schedule, we will have enough vaccines for everyone by the third quarter this year. As recommended by the Expert Committee, we will prioritise vaccinations of groups that are most at risk. This is also consistent with the World Health Organization's guidance and similar to what other countries are doing. We will, therefore, begin with the healthcare workers and staff working in the healthcare sector as they work in direct care of patients or in supporting roles. We will also prioritise COVID-19 frontline and other essential personnel, including swabbers hired by the Health Promotion Board, staff working at Government Quarantine Facilities, Community Care Facilities and dedicated Stay-Home Notice Facilities.”
“This will be the new normal for a long time to come. That is why we still need to keep up our multi-layered defence. In fact, we must further strengthen it as we continue our journey through Phase Three. Vaccination is a new line of defence we must put in place. Vaccination is a critical shield to protect us and our loved ones against COVID-19 even as the global situation remains volatile. It will also be a key enabler, allowing us to return to normalcy. The Expert Committee on COVID-19 Vaccination – comprising professionals in infectious diseases, immunology and other relevant fields – has studied the available data on the vaccine, reviewed the reports from the Health Sciences Authority (HSA), deliberated at length and considered carefully safety and efficacy aspects of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. The Committee has concluded that the vaccine meets the safety and efficacy requirements of the World Health Organization and other international regulatory authorities as well as that of our own HSA. It recommended that everyone who is medically eligible should be vaccinated so that Singapore can achieve as high a level of vaccination coverage as possible. Vaccinations should, however, be voluntary. The Government has accepted these recommendations in full. A high level of vaccination coverage will maximise protection for the population and minimise the proportion of persons still susceptible to COVID-19. This will, in turn, reduce the risk of large outbreaks and continue to keep community cases low and allow us to further reopen the economy and resume more normal, social activities. We received our first shipment of vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech at the end of last year. Our first vaccinations were conducted at the National Centre of Infectious Diseases last week.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, thank you for allowing me to give an update to Members on the COVID-19 situation and, specifically, on our plan to vaccinate our population. Minister Lawrence Wong and I will address earlier Parliamentary Question Nos 2 to 14 and Question Nos 15 to 18 for Questions for Written Answer from today's Order Paper, as well as questions filed by Members of Parliament for future Sittings. With your permission, I may also call upon my other colleagues to address supplementary questions that may follow, as we work as a team under the Multi-Ministry Task Force. Sir, it has been almost a year since we had our first case. We have come a long way. We strengthened our healthcare system, enhanced our contact tracing capability, expanded our testing capacity and introduced safe distancing measures. All these efforts work together as a multi-layered defence system to keep us safe from COVID-19. With the continued support and sacrifices of everyone in Singapore, we have brought the situation under control and kept community transmissions low. We have now moved into Phase Three and are making steady progress towards a new normal. However, this is not the moment to be complacent. Globally, daily infection numbers and deaths continue to rise in many countries, constantly setting new records, including countries that had been successful in containing their outbreaks previously. We have also seen the emergence of new variants that appear to be more transmissible and have had to tighten some of our border restrictions as a precaution. We must, therefore, be prepared that, despite best efforts, new infections will still occur here from time to time. We face the continuing risk of new clusters and outbreaks and the danger of a new wave of infections getting out of control.”