5% of vaccine stocks should be set aside for groups critical to Singapore's functioning: MOH expert committee

SINGAPORE'S expert committee on the Covid-19 vaccination recommends that around 5 per cent of available vaccine stocks at any given point in time be set aside for specific groups who are of critical importance to the republic's functioning.

Examples could include personnel involved in ensuring that Singapore's water and utilities, and other nationally essential services are not disrupted. The detailed identification of these groups will be decided by the government as this is beyond the remit of the expert committee. The Ministry of Health (MOH) on Sunday unveiled the recommendations submitted to the government by the 14-member Expert Committee on Covid-19 Vaccination.

Setting aside 5 per cent of vaccine stocks for those vital to Singapore's functioning would be "separate from the prioritisation of population subgroups by public health considerations, to ensure that Singapore would be able to continue to function effectively amidst a local outbreak situation".

The committee also recommended that among the elderly population, in the event that vaccine supply is limited, those aged 70 years and above should be prioritised for the vaccination, followed by those in the 60-69 age group.

Also to be prioritised would be persons at high risk of being infected by Covid-19, including healthcare workers and others at the front line of the national Covid-19 response.

The committee, which was convened in October, has assessed that the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine is suitable for use in persons aged 16 years and above in Singapore for the prevention of Covid-19.

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The committee also recommends to achieve as high a level of population coverage for Covid-19 vaccination as possible as this will "markedly reduce the overall proportion of the population that is susceptible to the disease and likelihood of uncontrolled chains of transmission".

A high vaccination coverage in the population also indirectly protects others who may not be suitable for vaccination yet, it added.

Benjamin Ong, who chairs the expert committee, said: "While Singapore currently has a low rate of local transmission of Covid-19, we remain vulnerable to the threat of a surge in cases. As such, it is important that we achieve as comprehensive a coverage of Covid-19 vaccination as possible across the entire population."

Assoc Prof Ong added: "We strongly encourage all persons who are medically eligible to be vaccinated when the vaccine is made available to them."