November 13 According to Singapore’s report, in order to effectively evaluate the multiple candidate Coronavirus vaccines on the market, the Ministry of Health of Singapore established a vaccine expert group consisting of 14 people in October. The panel of experts will evaluate the safety, effectiveness and applicability of candidate vaccines to different local groups based on the latest clinical trial data, and advise the government on how to vaccinate specific groups. Currently, the evaluation is ongoing.
On November 12, the Ministry of Health of Singapore issued a statement stating that the panel of experts was established on October 5, chaired by Associate Professor Wang Jianzhong, Senior Advisor to the Director of Medical Services of the Ministry of Health, who is also the Senior Vice President of the National University of Singapore. The other 13 members of the expert group are composed of experts in infectious diseases, immunology and other related fields.
Wang Jianzhong pointed out that as more candidate vaccines for clinical use emerge around the world, ensuring that vaccines are safe and effective will be the primary consideration of the expert team. “The expert team must carefully study the safety and clinical data of the vaccine, and take into account the local situation, and recommend an appropriate and comprehensive vaccination strategy.”
The expert group has held its first meeting on October 13, and has met regularly in the past month to discuss the overview of various candidate vaccines and the conditions for local vaccination. The expert team will also evaluate the safety, effectiveness and applicability of candidate vaccines to different local groups based on the latest clinical trial data, and advise the government on how to vaccinate specific groups.
Earlier, Minister of Health Yan Jinyong pointed out at a press conference of the Anti-pandemic Interagency Working Group on November 10 that only vaccines that have been assessed to be relatively safe and effective will be approved for local use.
He also emphasized that the effectiveness of the vaccine may vary from group to group. Therefore, Singapore may not be able to vaccinate all citizens. Frontline medical personnel and the elderly may give priority to vaccination.
According to the report, the Ministry of Health of Singapore has also taken measures to ensure that Singapore can still obtain vaccines despite the high global demand for vaccines. In addition to actively participating in the COVAX global Coronavirus vaccine plan led by the World Health Organization, Singapore is also cooperating with several pharmaceutical companies that are developing candidate vaccines to further expand the vaccine portfolio to increase the chances of obtaining suitable vaccines.
