Booster Dose Required to Maintain Fully Vaccinated Status
Vaccination, especially boosters, retain substantial protection against severe disease for COVID-19 and against the Omicron variant. Nevertheless, the protection from the primary series vaccination wanes with time and is substantially reduced six months after the last dose in the primary vaccination series. International data has also shown that protection against Omicron variant from a primary vaccination series is weaker compared to that against the Delta variant, while boosters increase the protection against infection and severe illness from Omicron.
In view of these, the Expert Committee on COVID-19 Vaccination (EC19V) has recommended that persons aged 18 years and above who completed a primary vaccination series should receive a booster dose of an mRNA vaccine no later than 270 days after the last dose in the primary vaccination series. This will also apply to individuals who received recognised non-mRNA primary vaccination regimens offered under the National Vaccination Programme, such as three doses of the Sinovac-CoronaVac, or three doses of Sinopharm vaccines, as well as regimens of other WHO EUL vaccines. For this group, most will not be due for booster for some time. We expect the Novavax vaccine, which is a non-mRNA vaccine, to be available to them as an option by then.
Sinovac just got included in the national COVID-19 vaccination program, but.....
All individuals who have taken two doses of the Sinovac vaccine will be regarded as fully vaccinated for four months after the second dose, or Dec 31 this year, whichever is later.
Immunocompromised persons, seniors to start getting Covid-19 booster vaccine shots in coming weeks: MOH
SINGAPORE — Immunocompromised persons and seniors will be eligible for booster Covid-19 vaccination shots starting sometime this month, depending on when they had their earlier two doses. This is to ensure that they are sufficiently protected from severe illness from the coronavirus, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said on Friday (Sept 3).
MOH said that the expert committee on Covid-19 vaccination had recommended this move based on the efficacy of booster doses administered globally.
At a press conference on Friday, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung, who co-chairs the Government's Covid-19 task force, said that while vaccines still offer protection against infection, the strength of the protection will “come down as antibodies wane several months after the vaccination”.
In its statement, MOH said that those who are moderately to severely immunocompromised will receive a third dose of the same messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) vaccine two months after their second dose as part of their primary vaccination course.
This is because immunocompromised people have a “blunted immune response to vaccination and are also at a higher risk of severe illness from Covid-19”, it added.
The three-dose programme will ensure that they have an “adequate immune response”.
The expert committee elaborated in a statement later that there are studies showing that a third dose “increases the likelihood that immunocompromised persons develop a robust protective immune response”.
The immunocompromised include cancer patients on active treatment such as chemotherapy, those with end-stage kidney disease on dialysis, and those with advanced or untreated human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
The committee added that immunocompromised people would be referred to receive the third dose by their doctors, who will have “the best understanding of their medical condition”.
BOOSTER SHOTS FOR ELDERS
For seniors aged 60 years and above and residents of aged-care facilities, they should receive a booster dose of a pandemic special access route mRNA vaccine — the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines — six to nine months after completing their two-dose vaccination regimen.
The first batch of seniors aged 60 and above and who completed their two-dose regimen in March will be eligible for the third dose in September.
“Seniors are also at risk of severe infection and may develop a lower immune response from their two-dose vaccination regimen,” MOH said.
The ministry added that the booster shot will ensure higher levels of protection from infection and continued high levels of protection against severe disease.
It will also reduce the possibility of spikes in infections and more people falling severely ill.
The expert committee said that seniors may develop a lower immune response to the initial two doses of vaccines, and their immunity has also been observed to decline over time.
“A booster dose will increase the level of immunity and ensure that a high level of protection from severe disease is maintained across a longer period.”
More details on the roll-out of the booster shots will be announced at a later date.
Some workers who have not been vaccinated against Covid-19 feel like they are in limbo as they wait to see what vaccine-related rules their employers might introduce, such as making them pay for regular testing.
Some of them told TODAY that they are prepared to hand in their resignations and find other jobs should the rules become too stringent.
Earlier this week, Singapore’s tripartite partners had issued an advisory on how bosses can keep their workplaces safe from Covid-19.
Among other things, it urged all employers here to adopt a regime that either sees their workers fully vaccinated against Covid-19 or requires unvaccinated employees to undergo regular testing.
........One finance sector worker, who wished to be known only as Mrs Lee, said that her boss told her she cannot return to the office because she is not vaccinated and will have to work from home until she does.
The 39-year-old said that she does not want to get vaccinated because she is concerned about the possible long-term side effects of Covid-19 vaccines.
“I feel that vaccination status should not be used in this aspect to deem who is worthy to work in the office,” she said.
READY TO RESIGN
Though their employers have not officially announced the full suite of vaccine-related measures they plan to introduce, some of the unvaccinated workers told TODAY that they were prepared to quit their jobs and find new ones if the rules became too stringent.
Mrs Lee, the finance sector worker, said that even though she has worked at her current job for 10 years and it pays well, she would resign if her employer requires her to take frequent Covid-19 tests and pay for them herself.
“It’ll be unbearable if I have to pay for the tests regularly out of my own pocket. I don’t see why I should when it should be the vaccinated workers who should be tested regularly because they may not show symptoms of having Covid-19 and hence pose a bigger threat.”
Another worker from the non-profit sector, who wanted to be known only as Mr Chan, 41, said that he is prepared to negotiate with his employer when the company requires unvaccinated people to get tested regularly from October.
He opposes the testing regime because he is believes that the chemical ethylene oxide used to make Covid-19 tests is carcinogenic and harmful to humans, though scientists have said that all residue of the chemical is removed from the tests before they can be used, and they have been rigorously tested to be safe to use.
Mr Chan also believes that it is unfair to place the burden of costs of the tests on unvaccinated workers, especially low-wage earners.
He is willing to be redeployed or have his job redesigned if that is what it takes to be exempted from the testing regime.
However, if his employer refuses to budge, Mr Chan said that he would quit his job and find a new one.
This will certainly give Modi's countrymen fresh impetus to flood Singapore and fill up positions vacated by the unvaxxed either through coercion or of their own volition.
Young people’s deaths after Pfizer vaccines are new worry
Deaths following vaccine jabs among people in their 20s continue to be reported in Korea, adding fresh concerns as inoculations for younger people start Thursday.
A 21-year-old female college student died one week after getting her first dose of Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine in Gongju, South Chungcheong on Monday, according to police reports. She had no known underlying medical condition, her family said.
According to local police, the woman received her first dose of the Pfizer vaccine on Aug. 16 and apparently had no particular side effects. According to her family, she studied until late at night with friends, and was captured on CCTV going to a convenience store at 2 a.m. on the day of her death.
She was found dead in her residence around 2:25 p.m. Monday by the house owner, who received a call from her parents saying she was not answering their phone calls.
She had purple spots on her body when she was found, and the family and the police requested an autopsy from the National Forensic Service to find the cause of death.
“My younger sister was preparing for the teacher certification exam so our family always worried about her health, and continuously contacted her every few hours and checked her condition after she got her vaccine,” a petitioner who claimed to be her sibling wrote in a petition on the Blue House website on Monday.
“There were no signs of worries or stress [in the posts] on her blog that indicated she was planning to take her own life,” the petitioner wrote. “Also, the testimonies of relatives and the family’s opinion agree that this is not a suicide case at all, and that she had been very healthy.”
Similar post-vaccination deaths of the young have been reported in the country.
A man in his late 20s died Sunday, 20 days after receiving a Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine in Jeju.
The man received his first dose on Aug. 2. He complained of chest pain, a common post-vaccine symptom, and visited a hospital on Aug. 22 but died after symptoms worsened.
Working at an airport in Jeju, he was given priority status in the vaccination scheme and received the shot in early August, a health official at the Jeju Provincial Government told the Korea JoongAng Daily.
“He was known to have no underlying diseases,” the official said, yet he wondered whether a causal connection between the vaccine and his death will be acknowledged because of the 20 days that elapsed.
A healthy young mailman, who was 25-year-old, was found dead on Aug. 10, three days following his second Pfizer jab.
After getting the second dose of the vaccine, the man complained of muscle pain. His mother tried to wake him up for work around 5 a.m. on Aug. 10, but was dead.
An online user who claimed to be his sister posted a petition to the Blue House. She wrote, “My younger brother had a medical checkup in July around the time he got his first Pfizer shot, and except for slightly elevated levels of liver enzymes, [the results showed] he was very healthy.
“My family can’t help but raise suspicions that the vaccine is the cause of death, as he died three days after his second Pfizer shot," the petitioner added.
According to his family, a first autopsy failed to ascertain the cause of death, and they were told that further results will come out one to two months later through an investigation by the KDCA and the National Forensic Service.
Relatives of the deceased worry that the government will not acknowledge that the deaths were caused by Covid-19 vaccines.
Currently, Korea only acknowledges three types of symptoms as post-vaccination side effects: anaphylaxis, or severe allergic reaction; unusual blood clots with low blood platelets termed thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome, or TTS, that can be caused by a viral vector vaccine like AstraZeneca or Janssen; and inflammation of the heart or its lining called myocarditis and pericarditis that can be reported after mRNA vaccines like Pfizer or Moderna.
As of Monday, the KDCA received 492 reports of fatalities after vaccinations — and only two cases have been officially acknowledged as vaccine-caused deaths.
Korea’s Covid-19 Vaccination Damage Investigation Team acknowledged a man in his 30s died due to TTS related to his AstraZeneca inoculation, and a Pfizer recipient in his 20s died due to myocarditis.
“My family is still waiting for additional results from the autopsy, but a lot of people are telling us that the government will say there was no causality,” the family of the mailman wrote. “If we cannot trust the government in this war-like situation, what and who can we rely on?”
Korea will start offering Covid-19 vaccinations to the general public aged 18 to 49 this Thursday, either Pfizer or Moderna’s vaccine depending on the vaccine supply schedule.
“We advise you not to feel pressured or scared by [vaccine side effects] as the benefits of Covid-19 vaccines outweigh the risks,” Cho Eun-hee, an official from the Covid-19 Vaccination Damage Investigation Team said Tuesday.
As concerns are growing among young people, experts say the government should clarify the exact cause of death and present the medical examination method for each side effect cases.
“For people in their 20s, side effects from vaccines mostly don’t lead to death,” said Dr. Chun Eun-mi, a professor of respiratory medicine at Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital. “But the cause of deaths must be examined and announced to allay the public anxiety.”
“In a situation where the government is asking people to get vaccinated,” said Dr. Kim Woo-joo, a professor of infectious diseases at Korea University Guro Hospital, "individuals cannot check the safety of each vaccine. The government must inform the medical staff and the public of the safety information and how to receive treatment for any symptoms."
Experts advise heart patients or people with family histories of heart disease to get a checkup before getting the vaccine. People who develop chest pain, fever or shortness of breath within a week after vaccination should immediately visit a hospital.
Chun also recommended young people get tested for Covid-19 with a home testing kit on the day of getting their vaccines.
“As there are many Covid-19 patients, especially among young people who are often asymptomatic or have weak symptoms, many tend to think the side effects are from the vaccine, yet they are actually from the virus,” Chun said.
“Side effects could be worse in someone with Covid-19, with the vaccine immune response and the virus symptoms mixed together,” she explained. Using home testing kits could prevent such cases if people who test positive cancel their vaccinations.
Meanwhile, the country saw 1,509 more Covid-19 cases on Tuesday, with the total caseload coming to 239,287.
Family demands compensation over man’s death after vaccination
KUALA LUMPUR: Family members of a disabled man have demanded compensation from the government over his death, which they allege was due to a Covid-19 vaccine.
At a press conference today, Tan Yee Ching said his brother Yee Tom, 58, died on Aug 1, hours after he received his second dose of the vaccine.
“His blood pressure shot up to 260 and we were shocked by it.
“He was on medication for high blood pressure. But his blood pressure had never gone up so high before that.”
The family subsequently sent Yee Tom to hospital for treatment.
In the death certificate, it was stated that the man had died of “hypertensive emergency with massive intracranial bleeding”.
The family later lodged a police report over his death.
Yee Ching said his late brother was a healthy person, despite suffering a stroke and becoming disabled eight years ago.
“He lived a stress-free life. We (the brothers) took care of him after his stroke.
“We had also declared his health condition before his vaccination. We have nothing to hide,” he said.
To a question if the Tans had sought a post-mortem on his remains, Yee Ching said the family had not done so.
“At that time, we were all in mourning and shocked that my brother had passed away,” he said.
Federal Territories DAP public complaints bureau chairman Yew Jia Haur said they would assist the Tan family to apply for compensation under the government’s special vaccine injury scheme.
He advised others who faced a similar situation to make sure they asked the hospital to conduct a post-mortem.
The government had announced earlier this year that a scheme had been set up to compensate those who suffered adverse side effects from the vaccination.
A payout of up to RM500,000 will be given to the family of vaccine recipients who died or suffered loss of abilities.
Up to RM50,000 will also be handed over to those who suffered severe side effects and were hospitalised after receiving the vaccines.
FMT has reached out to the science, technology and innovation ministry for a response.
New Zealand reports first death linked to Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine
WELLINGTON, Aug 30 (Reuters) - New Zealand reported its first recorded death linked to U.S. drugmaker Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine, the health ministry said on Monday, after a woman suffered a rare side effect leading to inflammation of her heart muscle.
The news of the death comes as the country battles an outbreak of the Delta variant after nearly six months of being virus free. It followed a review by an independent panel monitoring the safety of the vaccines.
"This is the first case in New Zealand where a death in the days following vaccination has been linked to the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine," the ministry said in a statement, without giving the woman's age.
The vaccine monitoring panel attributed the death to myocarditis, a rare, but known, side effect of the Pfizer vaccine, the ministry added.
Myocarditis is an inflammation of the heart muscle that can limit the organ's ability to pump blood and can cause changes in heartbeat rhythms.
In response, Pfizer said it recognised there could be rare reports of myocarditis after vaccinations, but such side effects were extremely rare.
"Pfizer takes adverse events that are potentially associated with our vaccine very seriously," it told Reuters.
"We closely monitor all such events and collect relevant information to share with worldwide regulatory authorities."
The health ministry said other medical issues at the same time could have influenced the outcome after vaccination.
But the vaccine's benefit outstripped risks from side effects, it added.
"The benefits of vaccination with the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine continue to greatly outweigh the risk of both COVID-19 infection and vaccine side effects, including myocarditis."
New Zealand has provisionally approved use of the Pfizer/BioNTech, Janssen and AstraZeneca vaccines, but only the Pfizer produced vaccine has been approved for rollout to the public.
Monday's 53 new cases took New Zealand's tally of infections in the current outbreak to 562, amid a nationwide lockdown enforced this month to limit spread of the Delta variant.
I'm vaccinated, but my boyfriend isn't. This is what happens when there are differentiated measures.
PERSPECTIVE: On Aug. 6, the Multi-Ministry Taskforce announced that, along with relaxing some safe distancing measures, Singapore would begin vaccination-differentiated measures from Aug. 10. But what happens when one party in the relationship has not gotten their vaccination yet?
Being fully vaccinated since June this year, I was thrilled to finally be able to eat out, after what seemed like ages of dealing with take-aways and deliveries.
But my initial excitement was quickly dampened when I realised that I wouldn’t be able to enjoy any of these perks with my boyfriend, who refuses to get vaccinated (with Pfizer or Moderna, at least).
Our different views on the vaccine,and subsequently our decisions on whether to take it or not, have never really been a problem — up till now.
Over the last couple of weeks, I found myself becoming increasingly annoyed at him for what seemed like him holding us back from enjoying dates together.
Our prior discussions about this issue haven’t always been amicable, and the issue is something that we are still grappling with.
We sat down for a (much calmer) conversation about his decision, and the potential impact of this decision on our relationship. Here's how our conversation went.
Me: When did you first decide that you weren’t going to get vaccinated? How did you come to this decision?
Boyfriend: I think I first decided when the Pfizer vaccine was undergoing development and when I saw the haste at which it was being developed.
I felt uneasy because there wasn't enough data to support taking mRNA vaccines. My main concern is that you don’t know what the long-term effects are and that it seems rather pointless to be taking such a vaccine when you could put it off and get a better vaccine in the future.
I would say I’m definitely more inclined to take non-mRNA vaccines (such as Sinovac, Sinopharm, or Novavax).
Did you consider how your decision to not get vaccinated would affect me, or our relationship?
I mean I did consider it, of course. But I felt that it wouldn’t make much of a difference to our dates. Whether we go to a restaurant or a hawker centre, I don’t feel like it would affect the quality of our dates as much because we’re still spending time with each other.
Like, I don’t feel that there’s much that we can’t do, except for going out to restaurants, because I’m not vaccinated. I didn’t feel like that would be a major issue.
I mean I definitely felt a bit sian because I felt like we were being held back from doing a lot of things.
Like what?
Like eating out, for example. Going out to a new restaurant is something that we like to do on dates.
And also because of the measures a month before, we’ve had to dabao food or eat at home for so long. Now that the measures are lifted for vaccinated people, it just feels extra sian that I won’t be able to do that with you. Especially when I see everyone else being able to go out.
I understand that. I’m sorry, but what can I do?
Get vaccinated lor *laughs*.
No thank you!
Actually, why do you trust Sinovac, Sinopharm and Novavax more than Pfizer and Moderna?
In general, I think that these types of vaccines are tried and tested, compared to mRNA vaccines. And that’s a given, right? Because we understand the technology and the long-term side effects of whole-virus and protein vaccines, but not mRNA vaccines.
I don’t think I would be opposed to an mRNA vaccine, like Pfizer, for example, if there were long-term data on it. But you just wouldn’t have that data until at least five years from now.
Did you feel like I wasn’t being understanding when I was expressing my frustration towards you about your decision not to get vaccinated?
Yes definitely, I felt annoyed that you weren’t being understanding towards me. I felt like you didn’t really understand my thought process behind why I didn’t want to get it. I would’ve liked for you to accept my decision.
Oh yeah, for sure la, I thought that your decision-making process was flawed. I thought that you didn’t wanna get vaccinated because you read too many conspiracy theories.
Yeah, I was definitely annoyed by that.
Do you think we’ve been able to respect each other’s decisions about whether we want to get vaccinated?
I know I’ve respected your decision just fine; I never had an issue with it. I’m all for people getting the vaccine if they want. You want to get the vaccine just get la, just don’t ask me to get it.
I don't have a moral angle here. Take it or not, it's up to you.
But then how do you reconcile your own hesitancy towards getting the vaccine and my decision to get it?
When it comes to the potential side effects, I am concerned about you, for sure. I'll be quite sad if you were to suffer any side effects. But I can understand your decision to take the vaccine. It’s your decision, I don’t have a problem with it.
Do you think my decision-making process was flawed, then?
I don’t think it was flawed, but I think you could have afforded to wait. Because what has the vaccine afforded you? There’s nothing you have done from the time you’ve gotten the vaccine till now, that you couldn’t have done because you were vaccinated. Correct?
I’ve been able to go out to restaurants, and meet my (vaccinated) friends.
Okay, fair. But I definitely think you could’ve afforded to wait another six months, see how things pan out, see what other developments there are, and then come to a decision.
I think that you not getting vaccinated as a personal decision is fine. You are probably at a lower risk of getting Covid-19 because you aren’t working in industries where you are constantly exposed to people, nor are you typically around people who might be exposed to the virus. Ultimately, I was more annoyed at the fact that we can’t go out.
Yeah I don’t recall you that ever told me to take it because of my safety or whatever. I think most of our arguments centred around the going out issue.
What about not being able to travel together?
I remember we had this conversation way back, about how there are going to be vaccine passports or travel restrictions for unvaccinated people in the future. Regarding how we weren’t going to be able to travel together, and I asked you, “Are you okay with that? That you can’t travel with me, even though I really want to go on a holiday with you?” Do you remember that conversation?
Yeah, I just told you to go by yourself.
But I wanted to go with you. So you were okay with not going on holidays with me?
Yeah. I mean, I meant it.
*Laughs*
I mean it’s not that I didn’t wanna go with you, but it’s that I can’t. And I am willing to make that sacrifice.
But you’re sacrificing an experience for the both of us. Did you consider how I would feel about not being able to go out or travel with my boyfriend?
I did la, but I was more concerned about my safety. I definitely understand where you’re coming from. It’s just that I chose to value my safety more.
So it’s more like we had our own cost-benefit analyses, when it came to deciding whether we should get vaccinated or not.
Yeah exactly, we both prioritise things a little differently. So you prioritise being able to go out, travel, and do all these things, and you place less importance on the potential long-term side effects.
Whereas I prioritise my long-term health, and I care less about going out. I’m a homebody.
And by the way, I’m not doubting that the vaccines work, they do work. It’s just that I don’t think I should be taking a vaccine that could be bad for me in the long run.
Now that the restrictions have been announced, were there any situations where we had to face the consequences of the both of us not being vaccinated? Do you feel it's worth it?
I don’t think there have been any major consequences. Okay, we can’t go to restaurants, or (vaccinated-only) cinemas, but that’s about it, I feel. There’s nothing that made me think “Wah, I really wish I was vaccinated”.
I think also that’s because we’ve found other ways to accommodate your decision.
Yeah, like the picnics, hawker centres, or hanging out at home. So I still don’t feel like it’s a big deal.
What about stuff like concerts that I want to go to with you?
That one a bit bopian (no choice) la, you have to go without me. Aiya, but who’s touring now, who’s coming to Singapore now anyways?
I don’t know, maybe in like four months’ time?
Well, maybe. If that’s really the case, then the pre-event swab rule should still apply. I’ll just go get swabbed, it’s not a big deal. If I really want to go for something I’ll definitely be willing to get swabbed.
What do you think our path forward looks like, both ideologically and logistically?
Do you plan on getting vaccinated? Do you think that this difference in opinion will continue to come up as an issue in our relationship, and in what cases?
I think it would come up again if the measures were changed. Like if, for instance, the situation gets worse, and they don’t allow unvaccinated people to visit hawker centres, then I guess it would be an issue.
I do plan on getting vaccinated, eventually. I’m looking at good vaccine alternatives, so given a good alternative, I would take it.
Vaccines like Sinopharm and Novavax seem pretty good to me, so when they become available in Singapore, I would be willing to take them.
I don’t think our path would be that affected in the long run, because I see myself getting vaccinated eventually. By the time travel comes up, I see myself getting vaccinated by then.
So I guess in the meantime we’ll just live with this current arrangement? Until the vaccines that you think are okay become available here?
Yeah, it seems like it.
Do you foresee that the next couple of months will be hard?
Well I think there might be frustrations on your end, if there’s some things we can’t do together. But *laughs* hopefully, it won’t be too bad. Hopefully we’ll be able to work around what it is we want to do.
‘Is it anti-vax to be concerned?’: Magazine editor reports changes to period after Covid jab, the latest in over 30,000 UK women
At least 30,304 British women have disclosed changes to their menstrual cycle after getting vaccinated against Covid-19. An editor for The Spectator is one of the most recently affected, and says many more are afraid to come out.
Lara Prendergast, an executive editor at London's Spectator magazine, raised some concerning questions in a column on Thursday after reporting that she had been affected since receiving her first Pfizer dose in May.
Noting that it is an “uncomfortable” and sensitive topic to discuss – indicating that the true number of women with period-related vaccine side effects could be far greater than the 30,304 documented – Prendergast revealed that her cycle has not been right since she was vaccinated months ago.
“Millions of British women have been jabbed, so 30,304 reports will be a tiny proportion: a negligible number, you might say. But it doesn't seem negligible if you're one of those women” she wrote, adding that friends have told her “they've also been affected” but “didn't report it either” due to the topic being both awkward and sensitive, and because of fears of being branded an ‘anti-vaxxer’.
“Is it ‘anti-vaxx’ to be concerned that these jabs may be having an effect on our menstrual cycles?” Prendergast questioned, before claiming that a women's health doctor had told her it is not exactly normal “for vaccines to affect periods in such a way.”
Prendergast also expressed concern that “if the jabs are affecting so many women's periods, who knows what else might be going on,” noting that millions of women can only “hope and trust” that the medical officials and influencers who are pushing for young women to get vaccinated are right about the allegedly low risks involved.
Though she acknowledged that officials, such as Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) President Dr. Edward Morris, have assured women that it would be impossible for the vaccines to affect a woman's fertility, Prendergast pointed out that most women do “associate their periods with their fertility,” and that side effects are thus extremely alarming to those who experience them.
“A month after my second jab, I make a note that my latest cycle is messed up, once again,” she concluded in the column.
The UK's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has advised concerned women that menstrual issues are “mostly transient in nature” and that “there is no evidence to suggest that Covid-19 vaccines will affect fertility and the ability to have children.”
RCOG Vice President Dr Jo Mountfield has also said that though “changes to periods can be concerning,” it appears “most women's menstrual cycles return to normal after one to two cycles.”
Menstrual cycle changes do not appear on the list of side effects given to Brits before they receive a Covid-19 vaccine in the UK.
The UK government announced on Monday that the MHRA was reviewing “suspected side effects of menstrual disorders and unexpected vaginal bleeding following vaccination against Covid-19 in the UK.”
This brings to mind Alfonso Cuarón's Children of Men: first the pandemic struck, years later women across the world miscarried one after another......inexplicably there came a point in time when no single human could give birth ever again.
He is currently undergoing inpatient rehabilitation and can perform his activities of daily living without assistance, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said in a statement on Monday (Aug 16).
"He will likely be discharged in the coming weeks, but will likely require outpatient rehabilitation for some time before he can return to school and resume other activities," it said.
The medical team will continue his treatment and monitor his condition, it added.
The 16-year-old suffered a cardiac arrest on July 3, six days after receiving the vaccine. He had developed acute severe myocarditis, or inflammation of the heart muscle, which led to the cardiac arrest.
MOH said the myocarditis was likely a serious adverse event caused by the vaccine, which may have been aggravated by the youth's strenuous lifting of weights and high consumption of caffeine through energy drinks and supplements.
The youth and his family will get a one-time payment of $225,000 under the VIFAP.
"The independent clinical panel appointed to assess and adjudicate the VIFAP application found that while he has made good improvement, because his condition was severe and critical, he will require treatment and rehabilitation for some time yet to continue his recovery," MOH said.
SINGAPORE: A correction direction has been issued to Facebook over a post that falsely claimed a three-year-old girl had died from COVID-19 at KK Women's and Children's Hospital (KKH) and that the death was not reported.
Health Minister Ong Ye Kung has instructed the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA) Office to issue the correction direction to Facebook, said the Ministry of Health (MOH) on Sunday (Aug 15).
Facebook is required to carry the correction notice to all end-users in Singapore who use the platform.
"The Government takes a serious view of the deliberate communication of these false statements, and criminal investigations under POFMA will be conducted," said MOH.
@Umbrage Ng Take note A&E costs shall be waivered should you experience any adverse effects; however this is only applicable if you visit the hospital within 3 days of getting vaccinated.
16-year-old boy who suffered suspected cardiac arrest after Covid-19 jab out of ICU, condition stable: MOH
SINGAPORE — The 16-year-old boy who was in critical condition after a suspected cardiac arrest six days after his first Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine jab is now out of the intensive care unit.
The Ministry of Health said on Thursday (July 15) in response to TODAY’s queries: “The patient has been transferred from the intensive care unit to a high dependency ward in the coronary care unit for close monitoring and observation.
“His medical condition remains stable. We are still investigating the underlying cause.”
The Government's Covid-19 task force said previously that apart from possible complications from vaccination, it is looking into whether health supplements might have contributed to the boy's cardiac arrest.
A cardiac arrest is an abrupt electrical malfunction in the heart that causes it to pump ineffectively, resulting in vital organs being unable to receive blood and oxygen.
MOH said: “Our priority is the well-being of the patient and he is under the close medical care of an excellent team in the National University Hospital and our hopes and well wishes are with him and his family for a steady recovery.”
The ministry also reiterated that the recent demise of a 16-year-old whose obituary made its rounds in chat groups was not vaccine-related. “He had not received any doses of Covid-19 vaccine.”
The ministry had put up a Facebook post on Wednesday evening saying that it was aware of talk on Facebook, Telegram and WhatsApp chat groups featuring an obituary, leading to conjecture that a teenager died from a severe adverse event related to the coronavirus vaccine.
“We wish to clarify that the demise mentioned in these posts and messages was not vaccine-related.”
It added: “We urge the public not to spread unsubstantiated information that may add to the family's grief or cause public alarm.”
On Thursday, it stressed that the case is unrelated to the 16-year-old male patient that is now out of intensive care, who had collapsed after a strenuous gym workout.
MOH debunks rumours linking boy's death to COVID vaccination
SINGAPORE — The Ministry of Health (MOH) has debunked rumours that a 16-year-old boy had recently died after receiving COVID-19 vaccination.
In a Facebook post on Wednesday (14 July) evening, MOH said it was aware of "speculation in Facebook, Telegram and WhatsApp chat groups" about an obituary that led to the "conjecture that the teenager had died from a vaccine-related severe adverse event.
"We wish to clarify that the demise mentioned in these posts and messages was not vaccine-related," said the MOH.
"We urge the public not to spread unsubstantiated information which may add to the family’s grief or cause public alarm unnecessarily."
The obituary in question stated that the boy, who was born in 2005, had died on 10 July.
The MOH last Monday said that it is investigating an incident involving a 16-year-old boy who suffered a cardiac arrest after lifting weights six days into receiving his first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech/Comirnaty COVID-19 vaccine.
According to the ministry's last update, the boy remains in critical condition at the National University Hospital's intensive care unit.
As of 30 June, there have been 12 reports of myocarditis, or inflammation of the heart muscle, and pericarditis, or inflammation of the lining around the heart, occurring in individuals following their vaccinations with mRNA COVID-19 vaccines. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines authorised for use in Singapore under the nationwide programme are based on mRNA technology.
Five of the cases occurred in adults aged 30 years old and above.
The remaining seven involved males aged below 30 years old, higher than expected for the particular age group, based on background incidence rates.
The Health Minister also announced that Singapore signed an advance purchase agreement with Novavax in January.
“On the non-mRNA vaccines, MOH has been looking out for vaccines that are of good quality, safe and effective to be part of our national vaccination programme,” said Mr Ong.
There have been “encouraging results” from the Novavax clinical trials, but the shipment “will not be ready so soon” as it is still undergoing clinical trials.
“We are working closely with Novavax and are awaiting their application for regulatory approval. We hope the vaccine supplies can arrive before the end of the year for those who want to take something that is non-mRNA,” he added.
SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Offering Sinovac Biotech COVID-19 vaccines to the public in Singapore for the first time since Friday, several private clinics reported overwhelming demand for the Chinese-made shot, despite already available rival vaccines having far higher efficacy.
Singapore has vaccinated almost half its 5.7 million population with at least one dose of the vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna. Both have shown efficacy rates of well over 90% against symptomatic disease in clinical trials, compared with Sinovac's 51%.
Earlier this week, officials in neighbouring Indonesia warned that more than 350 medical workers have caught COVID-19 despite being vaccinated with Sinovac and dozens have been hospitalised, raising concerns about its efficacy against more infectious variants.
Evidence from other countries showed people who had taken the Sinovac vaccine were still getting infected, Kenneth Mak, Singapore's director of medical services, said on Friday.
"There is a significant risk of vaccine breakthrough," he said, referring to the report on Indonesian healthcare workers.
A number of the people rushing for the Sinovac shot on the first day of its availability in Singapore were Chinese nationals, who felt it would make it easier to travel home without going through quarantine.
Singapore allowed the usage of the Sinovac vaccine by private healthcare institutions under a special access route, following an emergency use approval by the World Health Organization (WHO) earlier this month. Singapore said it is awaiting critical data from Sinovac before including it in the national vaccination programme.
Meantime, authorities have selected 24 private clinics to administer its current stock of 200,000 doses. The clinics are charging between S$10-25 ($7.5-$18.6 ) per dose.
"We have about 2,400 bookings, so that stretches from right now until end of July," Louis Tan, CEO at StarMed Specialist Centre, said on Saturday. He said many of those who made the Sinovac bookings tend to be in their 40s and above.
Wee Healthfirst, another approved clinic, put a notice at its entrance on Friday, saying it had stopped reservations for the vaccine until next Thursday, citing "overwhelming demand". A receptionist said about 1,000 people had registered there.
Leong Hoe Nam, an infectious diseases doctor at Rophi Clinic, also said he had been "overwhelmed" by people wanting the Sinovac shot.
Tang Guang Yu, a 49-year-old engineer, was among the Chinese nationals resident in Singapore who waited for the Sinovac shot rather than take a foreign-made vaccine that he thought might not berecognised by authorities back home.
"No one wants to be quarantined for a month, I don't have so many days of leave," Tang told Reuters as he queued outside a clinic.
Travellers to China may have to be quarantined at a facility and at home for up to a month depending on their destination city, regardless of vaccination status, according to the Chinese government website.
Other people said they have more confidence in the Sinovac vaccine since it is based on conventional technology, while those developed by Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna use a newly developed messenger RNA platform.
"The mRNA technology has been around for 30 years, but it has never been injected into human until recently due to COVID-19 emergency, how safe it is?" asked Singaporean Chua Kwang Hwee, 62, as he lined up outside a clinic to enquire about getting the Sinovac shot.
Singapore's health ministry says persons with a history of allergic reaction or anaphylaxis to mRNA COVID-19 vaccine or its components as well as severely immunocompromised individuals should not receive the mRNA-based vaccines.
Sinovac vaccine uses an inactivated or killed virus that cannot replicate in human cells to trigger an immune response.
In recent weeks, several social media messages have popped up saying inactivated virus COVID-19 vaccines, like Sinovac's, provide superior protection against variants than mRNA vaccines. Other messages on platforms have said the mRNA vaccines are less safe.
Authorities have rejected these claims, saying they are safe and highly effective.
At one of the clinics, infectious disease specialist Leong Hoe Nam’s Rophi Clinic at Mount Elizabeth Novena Specialist Centre, the waitlist exceeded 700 by 3.40pm.
The interest was so overwhelming that “we feel like the Indonesian McDonald’s that opened up for BTS army orders for the latest promotion”, Dr Leong said.
In Indonesia, the fast-food chain had to temporarily close several outlets after huge crowds gathered to buy a promotional meal linked to the popular Korean boy band BTS.
24 clinics selected to administer Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine; S$10 to S$25 for single dose
SINGAPORE — Twenty-four private healthcare institutions have been selected to administer the Government's stock of Sinovac Covid-19 vaccines, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said on Wednesday (June 16).
Fees range from S$10 to S$25 for a single dose.
Through a special route for as-yet-approved Covid-19 vaccines, the healthcare providers may draw upon MOH's existing stock to administer Sinovac's two-dose vaccine to Singaporeans, permanent residents and those holding long-term passes.
Applications by providers to administer the vaccine were reviewed based on their ability to do so safely, properly and efficiently, MOH said.
Other factors the ministry considered were the providers’ proposed vaccination administration fees, experience in vaccine administration and its compliance history at past licensing inspections.
This was done to ensure that services would be safe and affordable to members of public, it said.
"As these vaccines are being provided to (them) at no cost, individuals should take note that the providers should not charge them for the vaccine cost," MOH added.
The fees listed are also inclusive of consultation and the seven per cent Goods and Services Tax.
"There should not be any additional costs (beyond the vaccination administration fees) charged by these providers," MOH said.
“She had been assessed by trained healthcare personnel to be suitable for Covid-19 vaccination prior to vaccination,” MOH said without naming the deceased.
Mr Tan, an e-commerce trainer, said that his mother had been diagnosed with ischemic heart disease only recently in April and was given medication for her condition.
KNN she was already diagnosed with a heart condition earlier on and yet she was still deemed suitable for vaccination???? The medical staff attending to her were sleeping siboh????
Expert Committee On Covid-19 Vaccination's Assessment On Myocarditis and Pericarditis Following Mrna Covid-19 Vaccination
The Expert Committee has been closely monitoring international reports that the second dose of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines may be associated with a small risk of myocarditis and pericarditis in young men. We have reviewed the currently available international and local data. Our assessment is that the benefits of receiving the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, i.e., reduction in COVID-19 infections and severe complications even if infected, continue to outweigh the risks of vaccination.
Myocarditis and Pericarditis with mRNA Vaccines
2. Myocarditis and pericarditis are inflammatory conditions affecting the heart muscles and the outer lining of the heart respectively. They occur more often in men compared to women. Patients present with symptoms such as chest pain, shortness of breath or abnormal heartbeats. Most cases are mild, recover without the need for significant intervention and do not suffer any long-term effects, although very rarely, severe cases may result in damage to the heart muscles. Myocarditis and pericarditis are separate and distinct conditions from heart attacks which are caused when blood flow to the heart is blocked.
3. Increased occurrences of myocarditis and pericarditis after the second dose of mRNA COVID-19 vaccinations have been observed overseas (Israel and the United States [US]) in adolescents and young men below the age of 25 years. The risk of this has been estimated to be 1.6 cases per 100,000 doses for mRNA vaccines in the US, which is comparable to the risk of anaphylaxis observed in Singapore. To date, there is no observed incremental risk of myocarditis and pericarditis after the first dose of vaccine.
4. Locally, the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) has reported 4 cases involving young men aged between 18 to 30 years. This is at the upper end of the expected range for this age group, based on background incidence rates. Most of the cases were reported to have occurred within a few days after receiving the second dose of the vaccine. All have recovered or have been discharged well from hospital.
Recommendations
5. While further studies and investigations are on-going, the currently available data suggests that there may be a very small risk of myocarditis and pericarditis after the second dose of an mRNA vaccine, particularly in young men. As a precaution, EC19V recommends that vaccinated persons, in particular adolescents and younger men, should avoid strenuous physical activity for one week after their second dose. During this time, they should seek medical attention promptly if they develop chest pain, shortness of breath or abnormal heartbeats.
6. COVID-19 continues to be a health threat globally and in Singapore. The emergence of infectious variants can lead to widespread community COVID-19 transmission as well as the risk of severe COVID-19 disease and complications, including long term chronic complications. EC19V assesses that the benefits of the mRNA COVID-19 vaccinations continue to outweigh the known and potential risks.
7. EC19V will continue to monitor the available data as further analyses are conducted locally and internationally and will provide an update to the public.
Is the Second Shot Giving Young Men a Dangerous Heart Condition?
An official Israeli report released Tuesday found a striking correlation between COVID-19 mRNA vaccinations and a spike in cases of a heart-inflammation condition in young males, which appears likely to lead the country to revisit its recommendation that children receive two doses of the vaccine.
The report found over 110 cases of myocarditis around the time of vaccination, 95 of which occurred following the second of Pfizer’s two-dose regimen. This translates to a rate of roughly one in 50,000. However, most of the people who developed the heart condition were young men, with a particularly high incidence for those aged 16 to 24, putting their rate at around one in 5,000. “These findings raise the likelihood of a causal link between the vaccine and myocarditis,” states the report presented by a committee that was appointed by the country’s health ministry to investigate a possible connection between myocarditis and the vaccines. Myocarditis can generally go away on its own, though it can also be serious, with lasting health consequences, and is sometimes even fatal.
A detailed analysis at Hadassah Medical Center, a major hospital serving the greater Jerusalem area, found that cases of myocarditis at the facility were five to 25 times the normal number over the same time span in previous years, Dror Mevorach, the head of internal medicine and the COVID-19 ward at Hadassah, told Intelligencer. This potentially puts the rate as high as one in 3,000 to one in 6,000 vaccinated young men, he said. Mevorach, who also headed the national committee to investigate the myocarditis link, said that over a span of three months the hospital saw 20 cases of myocarditis, when it typically sees only four; 19 of the 20 cases were young males, ages 16 to 30. Eighteen of the 20 cases presented within four days of the second vaccine dose. The patients all had chest pain or difficulty breathing, ruling out that the condition was asymptomatic and caught inadvertently by general tests, Mevorach said. Only two patients of the 20 had evidence of past infection, eliminating any correlation with COVID-19 itself, rather than the vaccine.
A possible link between myocarditis and the mRNA vaccines has been in the news since earlier this year, when initial reports of vaccinated people experiencing the heart condition surfaced from Israel, and in the U.S military. Last month, Connecticut’s health commissioner said there were at least 18 teens and young adults in the state who developed heart problems following COVID-19 vaccination. Last week, the top health officer in King County, Washington, said his county had 14 cases of myocarditis or pericarditis (inflammation of the outer lining of the heart) following vaccination. “It’s unclear if the cases are linked to vaccination,” he said. The ages ranged from 16 to 42, and all but two cases were males.
It’s important to stress that the Connecticut and Washington reports, among many others, are anecdotal. And the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s vaccine safety group on May 17 said in a report that “rates of myocarditis reports in the window following COVID-19 vaccination have not differed from expected baseline rates.” Yet, the statement continued, “members felt that information about reports of myocarditis should be communicated to providers.”
To understand whether there is a real correlation between myocarditis and the vaccines, and if so its degree of prevalence, is, unfortunately, not an exact science. For starters, the United States lacks a system for measuring such data with precision. “There is no way for CDC to query electronic records for myocarditis,” said Shira Doron, an infectious-diseases physician and hospital epidemiologist at Tufts Medical Center in Boston. Instead, federal agencies largely rely on the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) for tracking serious adverse events following vaccinations. But the system is passive, meaning that reports, which can be submitted by anyone, are voluntary. As such, a paper, published by authors from the CDC and FDA, explains, “VAERS data cannot be used to determine if a vaccine caused an adverse event.”
Instead, the paper noted, the database is “a safety-signal detection and hypothesis-generating system,” which is still valuable. Putting a notice of a potential problem in the media, as the CDC has done with myocarditis, Doron said, is a good way to increase case findings, and the higher the number, the more reliable it is. Nevertheless, the numbers in VAERS are imperfect and can be over- or underestimates.
Considering the known limitations of our tracking systems, the CDC’s declaration that the rates of myocarditis following vaccination are no higher than baseline projects an unfounded certitude. First, the specific rate of myocarditis following vaccinations is unknown because, as was noted, the reporting system is not comprehensive. Second, there is no baseline rate of myocarditis to compare such events to. Some estimates suggest the baseline for myocarditis is between ten and 20 cases per 100,000 persons. Marc Richmond, a pediatric cardiologist at Columbia University Medical Center, said he thinks the baseline might be around three per 100,000, but that “we don’t actually know the rate.” Nevertheless, he said, there does appear to be a small sign about the correlation between the vaccine and myocarditis. But, at the moment, it’s too hard to tell one way or the other.
In the face of growing concerns about myocarditis, last week the CDC posted a statement saying it “continues to recommend COVID-19 vaccination for everyone 12 years of age and older. The known and potential benefits of COVID-19 vaccination outweigh the known and potential risks, including the possible risk of myocarditis or pericarditis.”
Mevorach, the Israeli physician, suggested that it’s possible his committee found a seemingly definitive link while the U.S. has not because Israel is a small country and it’s easier within their system to find a signal faster. He predicts the CDC will change its assessment. As it stands, recent reports from Israel suggest that because of the side effects, and the country’s low rate of COVID-19, the health ministry is going to change its recommendation from two doses for pediatric vaccination to one dose, or perhaps no specified dose schedule. Unlike the U.S., Israel has held off on vaccinating 12- to 15-year-olds. The health ministry announced today that it will begin to allow that age group to be vaccinated next week.
There is ambiguity about the balance of costs and benefits to kids to get vaccinated, at least right now, on this schedule, according to a number of experts. This is why, in part, some epidemiologists and others have suggested that children do not meet the criteria of an “emergency-use authorization” of the vaccines, unlike most adults. The risk of COVID-19 itself to children is low, and as I reported in late May, two studies found that pediatric hospitalization rates for the disease have been over-counted by at least 40 percent. So it’s hard to run the risk-benefit calculation with any degree of clarity.
Indeed, during the meeting of VRBPAC, the advisory committee to the FDA for vaccine approvals, several members adamantly objected to the initial EUA beginning at age 16, rather than, at minimum, age 18. “I do not believe we have sufficient data for 16- and 17 year-olds … they do not get very sick, and are seldom hospitalized,” one member said, which was typical of the critical comments. Cody Meissner, one of the committee members, and chief of the division of pediatric infectious disease at Tufts School of Medicine, told Intelligencer that he didn’t vote in favor of the EUA because fewer than 100 adolescents aged 16 and 17 got vaccinated in the trial. Five out of 22 members ultimately did not vote in favor of the general EUA for the Pfizer vaccine, which the FDA approved in December.
The clinical trial for 12- to 15-year-olds included a little over 2,000 participants, half of whom were in the placebo group. If an adverse event such as myocarditis occurs in one out of every 3,000 to 6,000 young males, as Mevorach estimates from his data, a trial with 1,000 people actually receiving the vaccine might not even see that event. In May, the FDA did not invite the advisory committee back when it extended the EUA for 12- to 15-year-olds.
The good news is the data show that the absolute risk from COVID-19 to children is extremely small. Pediatric mortality is on par with or less than that from influenza in recent seasons, and the already very low hospitalization numbers, as noted, were found to be significantly over-counted. Conversely, a number of experts Intelligencer spoke with believe, and at least preliminarily the data suggest, that the absolute risks from the vaccine to children are likely extremely small as well.
Nevertheless, despite the CDC’s assurances, taking into account the dearth and opacity of the data in the U.S., the Israeli report may be worth considering.
Explainer: What are the alternate Covid-19 vaccines, how do these differ from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna?
SINGAPORE — The recent decision by the Government to relax Covid-19 vaccination rules will soon allow Singapore residents more access to alternate vaccines, with the first among them likely to be China’s Sinovac.
The Ministry of Health (MOH) said on Monday (May 31) that it will allow a special route for private healthcare providers to administer Covid-19 vaccines that are on the Emergency Use Listing (EUL) of the World Health Organization (WHO).
The list comprises the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines that uses messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) technology, as well as viral vector vaccines such as Oxford-AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson, and inactivated vaccines Sinopharm and Sinovac.
MOH said in response to media queries on Wednesday that it will release more details in the coming days for private healthcare institutions to apply to be licensed providers for the Sinovac vaccine.
It is also studying the possibility for private healthcare institutions to access the 200,000 Sinovac doses in stock, and work out details on pricing, informed consent process and the safety of the patients who prefer to be administered with it.
Some private healthcare groups and general practitioners told TODAY that they are awaiting more guidelines from MOH before they make a decision on providing the alternate vaccines on WHO's list.
Farrer Park Hospital said that it is working with the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) to secure Sinovac's Covid-19 vaccine, though the pricing and number of doses have yet to be ascertained at this point.
It added that both the doctor administering the vaccine and the patient would have to discuss the risks and benefits of using vaccines not registered or authorised by HSA. Before the vaccination, patients will also have to sign an informed consent form to acknowledge the risks involved.
Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said on Monday that there are more than 30,000 individuals in Singapore who are unable to take the mRNA-based vaccines for medical reasons.
He noted that some want alternate vaccines because of their history of anaphylaxis — a severe, life-threatening allergic reaction — which restricts them from taking mRNA vaccines.
The mRNA vaccines, when injected, "instruct" cells in the human body to make a protein similar to a fragment of a virus, so that the body produces antibodies and special immune system cells in response.
Some infectious disease experts told TODAY that while non-mRNA vaccines may not be as effective, they have been reported to have a lower rate of severe allergic reactions.
TODAY takes a closer look at the four non-mRNA vaccines on the EUL, including costs, availability and how they differ from the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines.
WHAT IS THE EUL?
WHO defines it as a procedure for assessing unlicensed vaccines, therapeutics and in-vitro diagnostics during public health emergencies, with the ultimate goal of speeding up the availability of these products to people who need them.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE VACCINES?
Both Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna make use of mRNA technology.
Pfizer-BioNTech has an efficacy rate of 95 per cent, while for Moderna, it is 94 per cent. Both are offered for free to all Singaporeans and long-term residents here.
Here is how they compare to other vaccines on the EUL.
Inactivated vaccines: This is traditional vaccine technology that uses inactivated coronavirus to trigger an immune response. This is a similar method vaccines for diseases such as polio use.
Sinopharm has an efficacy rate of 79 per cent, while Sinovac’s is 51 per cent.
Viral vectors: This vaccine type uses a modified version of a different virus (the vector) to deliver important instructions to human cells to elicit an immune response from vaccinated individuals.
Oxford-AstraZeneca has an efficacy rate of 63 per cent, while Johnson & Johnson’s is 66 per cent.
ARE NON-MRNA VACCINES SAFER?
Professor Dale Fisher, a senior infectious disease consultant at the National University Hospital, said that mRNA vaccines have “come through as a stellar platform” during the pandemic due to their high efficacy rate.
That said, infectious disease specialist Leong Hoe Nam noted that Singapore was previously adopting a “one-size-fits-all for everyone” by only allowing the use of Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines.
“But it doesn't work that way,” he said. “For some individuals, you need an alternative vaccine, such as those with multiple allergies.”
Professor Paul Tambyah, president of the Asia Pacific Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infection, said that the rates of anaphylaxis reported with the viral vector vaccines and the inactivated vaccines are reportedly lower than with the mRNA vaccines.
In an April 18 safety update by HSA, it was stated that the incidence rate of anaphylaxis reported here with Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines is about 1.4 for every 100,000 doses administered.
This is similar to the incidence rates reported overseas of around 0.5 to 2 for every 100,000 doses administered.
In comparison, a report published by the World Allergy Organization in January this year stated that no anaphylaxis events have been reported in clinical trials for Sinovac, Sinopharm and Oxford-AstraZeneca.
The American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology said that the anaphylaxis rate has not been reported for the Johnson & Johnson vaccine as of April 26.
In any case, Prof Tambyah said that the viral vector vaccines come with their own risks of side effects such as rare blood clots, so individuals need to talk to their doctors about the risks and the benefits of the different vaccines.
WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU FALL ILL TAKING AN ALTERNATIVE VACCINE?
In short, you will not be protected.
MOH said that the vaccines are not part of the national vaccine programme, therefore individuals will not be eligible for the Vaccine Injury Financial Assistance Programme for Covid-19 Vaccination should they fall ill after getting inoculated.
The scheme provides one-time goodwill financial assistance to persons who experience serious side effects that are assessed to be related to Covid-19 vaccines administered in Singapore.
WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU FALL ILL TAKING AN ALTERNATIVE VACCINE?
In short, you will not be protected.
MOH said that the vaccines are not part of the national vaccine programme, therefore individuals will not be eligible for the Vaccine Injury Financial Assistance Programme for Covid-19 Vaccination should they fall ill after getting inoculated.
In other words if your ass opts for an ah tiong vaccine, it's pretty much you die your own business. Best to siam far far then!
At Least 18 Cases of Apparent Heart Problems in Young People in CT After COVID-19 Vaccine
At least 18 teens and young adults in Connecticut have shown symptoms of heart problems after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, acting health commissioner Dr. Deirdre Gifford said Monday.
Gifford said all but one of the young adults hospitalized for signs of heart problems have been released. Four of those young residents were hospitalized at Yale New Haven Health and three at Connecticut Children's.
"All of the cases that were reported to us were hospitalized, the vast majority for a couple of days," Gifford said at the governor's regular Monday COVID-19 news conference. "One individual that we’re aware of is still hospitalized. The other 17 have been sent home and they’re doing fine."
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says it is investigating after a small number of teens and young adults reported having heart problems after being vaccinated for COVID-19.
A CDC safety committee released an advisory last week to alert doctors of “myocarditis” among younger vaccine recipients after a “relatively few” cases of the unusual heart symptom surfaced.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Monday during a press briefing that President Joe Biden has been informed of the reported cases and that the administration will continue to advise young people to get vaccinated.
“Our health and medical experts still continue to convey that it is the right step for 12- to 15-year-olds to get vaccinated, that these are limited cases, and that, obviously, the risks of contracting COVID are certainly significant even for people of that age,” Psaki said.
Health officials say the reported cases appear to be mild and typically begin within four days after the second dose of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.
The CDC has yet to determine if the vaccines were the cause of the reported heart condition.
“What’s important to know and to recognize is that the rates that we’re seeing of myocarditis are no higher than what we would experience normally,” Dr. Ted O’Connell told NBC San Diego. “So, we don’t know if it’s associated with the vaccine or not.”
What are symptoms of myocarditis?
In mild cases of myocarditis, common symptoms include chest pain and shortness of breath.
In more serious cases, symptoms can include rapid or abnormal heart rhythms, shortness of breath during rest or physical activity, fatigue, and fluid retention with the swelling of limbs.
Medical experts at Mayo Clinic say myocarditis can be fatal if not treated immediately. Heart failure, heart attack, stroke, and sudden cardiac death can occur in severe cases.
What are signs of myocarditis in children?
When children develop myocarditis, some signs and symptoms can include fever, fainting, difficulty in breathing, rapid breathing, and rapid or abnormal heart rhythms.
Health experts urge both children and adults who may be experiencing any of these symptoms to immediately seek medical attention.
How can myocarditis be treated?
In many cases of myocarditis, the inflamed heart condition can improve on its own.
Mayo Clinic doctors say treatment focuses on the cause of the condition and symptoms, such as heart failure and shortness of breath.
Doctors recommend getting a lot of rest and taking medication to help fight off the infection. Experts say that although antiviral medications are available, they are not proven effective in treatment for most cases of the heart condition.
Slightly OT but still in the same vein, given Pinky's recent push to aggressively innoculate young children it would be prudent for parents to consider things very carefully and not be swayed by government propaganda. Don't simply follow the herd; do your own research before making an informed decision accordingly - getting jabbed could be a matter of life or death for your precious darlings.
Sad sia.....
To jab no. infinity and beyond!
Booster Dose Required to Maintain Fully Vaccinated Status
Vaccination, especially boosters, retain substantial protection against severe disease for COVID-19 and against the Omicron variant. Nevertheless, the protection from the primary series vaccination wanes with time and is substantially reduced six months after the last dose in the primary vaccination series. International data has also shown that protection against Omicron variant from a primary vaccination series is weaker compared to that against the Delta variant, while boosters increase the protection against infection and severe illness from Omicron.
In view of these, the Expert Committee on COVID-19 Vaccination (EC19V) has recommended that persons aged 18 years and above who completed a primary vaccination series should receive a booster dose of an mRNA vaccine no later than 270 days after the last dose in the primary vaccination series. This will also apply to individuals who received recognised non-mRNA primary vaccination regimens offered under the National Vaccination Programme, such as three doses of the Sinovac-CoronaVac, or three doses of Sinopharm vaccines, as well as regimens of other WHO EUL vaccines. For this group, most will not be due for booster for some time. We expect the Novavax vaccine, which is a non-mRNA vaccine, to be available to them as an option by then.
https://www.moh.gov.sg/news-highlights/details/strengthening-our-readiness-to-live-with-the-omicron-variant
Kaoz MOH has been pestering me of late to get my booster shot, just leeceived 2 SMSes not too long ago, now kenna a third reminder!
🤣🤣🤣
GMS whacks the PAP government 9696:
A hairstylist who worked at Jean Yip Salon died days after taking his booster shot:
https://www.change.org/p/salma-khalik-urgent-petition-for-salma-khalik
Immunocompromised persons, seniors to start getting Covid-19 booster vaccine shots in coming weeks: MOH
SINGAPORE — Immunocompromised persons and seniors will be eligible for booster Covid-19 vaccination shots starting sometime this month, depending on when they had their earlier two doses. This is to ensure that they are sufficiently protected from severe illness from the coronavirus, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said on Friday (Sept 3).
MOH said that the expert committee on Covid-19 vaccination had recommended this move based on the efficacy of booster doses administered globally.
At a press conference on Friday, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung, who co-chairs the Government's Covid-19 task force, said that while vaccines still offer protection against infection, the strength of the protection will “come down as antibodies wane several months after the vaccination”.
In its statement, MOH said that those who are moderately to severely immunocompromised will receive a third dose of the same messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) vaccine two months after their second dose as part of their primary vaccination course.
This is because immunocompromised people have a “blunted immune response to vaccination and are also at a higher risk of severe illness from Covid-19”, it added.
The three-dose programme will ensure that they have an “adequate immune response”.
The expert committee elaborated in a statement later that there are studies showing that a third dose “increases the likelihood that immunocompromised persons develop a robust protective immune response”.
The immunocompromised include cancer patients on active treatment such as chemotherapy, those with end-stage kidney disease on dialysis, and those with advanced or untreated human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
The committee added that immunocompromised people would be referred to receive the third dose by their doctors, who will have “the best understanding of their medical condition”.
BOOSTER SHOTS FOR ELDERS
For seniors aged 60 years and above and residents of aged-care facilities, they should receive a booster dose of a pandemic special access route mRNA vaccine — the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines — six to nine months after completing their two-dose vaccination regimen.
The first batch of seniors aged 60 and above and who completed their two-dose regimen in March will be eligible for the third dose in September.
“Seniors are also at risk of severe infection and may develop a lower immune response from their two-dose vaccination regimen,” MOH said.
The ministry added that the booster shot will ensure higher levels of protection from infection and continued high levels of protection against severe disease.
It will also reduce the possibility of spikes in infections and more people falling severely ill.
The expert committee said that seniors may develop a lower immune response to the initial two doses of vaccines, and their immunity has also been observed to decline over time.
“A booster dose will increase the level of immunity and ensure that a high level of protection from severe disease is maintained across a longer period.”
More details on the roll-out of the booster shots will be announced at a later date.
Read more at https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/immunocompromised-persons-seniors-start-getting-covid-19-booster-vaccine-shots-coming
Some workers who have not been vaccinated against Covid-19 feel like they are in limbo as they wait to see what vaccine-related rules their employers might introduce, such as making them pay for regular testing.
Some of them told TODAY that they are prepared to hand in their resignations and find other jobs should the rules become too stringent.
Earlier this week, Singapore’s tripartite partners had issued an advisory on how bosses can keep their workplaces safe from Covid-19.
Among other things, it urged all employers here to adopt a regime that either sees their workers fully vaccinated against Covid-19 or requires unvaccinated employees to undergo regular testing.
........One finance sector worker, who wished to be known only as Mrs Lee, said that her boss told her she cannot return to the office because she is not vaccinated and will have to work from home until she does.
The 39-year-old said that she does not want to get vaccinated because she is concerned about the possible long-term side effects of Covid-19 vaccines.
“I feel that vaccination status should not be used in this aspect to deem who is worthy to work in the office,” she said.
READY TO RESIGN
Though their employers have not officially announced the full suite of vaccine-related measures they plan to introduce, some of the unvaccinated workers told TODAY that they were prepared to quit their jobs and find new ones if the rules became too stringent.
Mrs Lee, the finance sector worker, said that even though she has worked at her current job for 10 years and it pays well, she would resign if her employer requires her to take frequent Covid-19 tests and pay for them herself.
Another worker from the non-profit sector, who wanted to be known only as Mr Chan, 41, said that he is prepared to negotiate with his employer when the company requires unvaccinated people to get tested regularly from October.
He opposes the testing regime because he is believes that the chemical ethylene oxide used to make Covid-19 tests is carcinogenic and harmful to humans, though scientists have said that all residue of the chemical is removed from the tests before they can be used, and they have been rigorously tested to be safe to use.
Mr Chan also believes that it is unfair to place the burden of costs of the tests on unvaccinated workers, especially low-wage earners.
He is willing to be redeployed or have his job redesigned if that is what it takes to be exempted from the testing regime.
However, if his employer refuses to budge, Mr Chan said that he would quit his job and find a new one.
Read more at https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/unvaccinated-workers-count-cost-as-covid-19-workplace-rules-loom
Young people’s deaths after Pfizer vaccines are new worry
Deaths following vaccine jabs among people in their 20s continue to be reported in Korea, adding fresh concerns as inoculations for younger people start Thursday.
A 21-year-old female college student died one week after getting her first dose of Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine in Gongju, South Chungcheong on Monday, according to police reports. She had no known underlying medical condition, her family said.
According to local police, the woman received her first dose of the Pfizer vaccine on Aug. 16 and apparently had no particular side effects. According to her family, she studied until late at night with friends, and was captured on CCTV going to a convenience store at 2 a.m. on the day of her death.
She was found dead in her residence around 2:25 p.m. Monday by the house owner, who received a call from her parents saying she was not answering their phone calls.
She had purple spots on her body when she was found, and the family and the police requested an autopsy from the National Forensic Service to find the cause of death.
“My younger sister was preparing for the teacher certification exam so our family always worried about her health, and continuously contacted her every few hours and checked her condition after she got her vaccine,” a petitioner who claimed to be her sibling wrote in a petition on the Blue House website on Monday.
“There were no signs of worries or stress [in the posts] on her blog that indicated she was planning to take her own life,” the petitioner wrote. “Also, the testimonies of relatives and the family’s opinion agree that this is not a suicide case at all, and that she had been very healthy.”
Similar post-vaccination deaths of the young have been reported in the country.
A man in his late 20s died Sunday, 20 days after receiving a Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine in Jeju.
The man received his first dose on Aug. 2. He complained of chest pain, a common post-vaccine symptom, and visited a hospital on Aug. 22 but died after symptoms worsened.
Working at an airport in Jeju, he was given priority status in the vaccination scheme and received the shot in early August, a health official at the Jeju Provincial Government told the Korea JoongAng Daily.
“He was known to have no underlying diseases,” the official said, yet he wondered whether a causal connection between the vaccine and his death will be acknowledged because of the 20 days that elapsed.
A healthy young mailman, who was 25-year-old, was found dead on Aug. 10, three days following his second Pfizer jab.
After getting the second dose of the vaccine, the man complained of muscle pain. His mother tried to wake him up for work around 5 a.m. on Aug. 10, but was dead.
An online user who claimed to be his sister posted a petition to the Blue House. She wrote, “My younger brother had a medical checkup in July around the time he got his first Pfizer shot, and except for slightly elevated levels of liver enzymes, [the results showed] he was very healthy.
“My family can’t help but raise suspicions that the vaccine is the cause of death, as he died three days after his second Pfizer shot," the petitioner added.
According to his family, a first autopsy failed to ascertain the cause of death, and they were told that further results will come out one to two months later through an investigation by the KDCA and the National Forensic Service.
Relatives of the deceased worry that the government will not acknowledge that the deaths were caused by Covid-19 vaccines.
Currently, Korea only acknowledges three types of symptoms as post-vaccination side effects: anaphylaxis, or severe allergic reaction; unusual blood clots with low blood platelets termed thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome, or TTS, that can be caused by a viral vector vaccine like AstraZeneca or Janssen; and inflammation of the heart or its lining called myocarditis and pericarditis that can be reported after mRNA vaccines like Pfizer or Moderna.
As of Monday, the KDCA received 492 reports of fatalities after vaccinations — and only two cases have been officially acknowledged as vaccine-caused deaths.
Korea’s Covid-19 Vaccination Damage Investigation Team acknowledged a man in his 30s died due to TTS related to his AstraZeneca inoculation, and a Pfizer recipient in his 20s died due to myocarditis.
“My family is still waiting for additional results from the autopsy, but a lot of people are telling us that the government will say there was no causality,” the family of the mailman wrote. “If we cannot trust the government in this war-like situation, what and who can we rely on?”
Korea will start offering Covid-19 vaccinations to the general public aged 18 to 49 this Thursday, either Pfizer or Moderna’s vaccine depending on the vaccine supply schedule.
“We advise you not to feel pressured or scared by [vaccine side effects] as the benefits of Covid-19 vaccines outweigh the risks,” Cho Eun-hee, an official from the Covid-19 Vaccination Damage Investigation Team said Tuesday.
As concerns are growing among young people, experts say the government should clarify the exact cause of death and present the medical examination method for each side effect cases.
“For people in their 20s, side effects from vaccines mostly don’t lead to death,” said Dr. Chun Eun-mi, a professor of respiratory medicine at Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital. “But the cause of deaths must be examined and announced to allay the public anxiety.”
“In a situation where the government is asking people to get vaccinated,” said Dr. Kim Woo-joo, a professor of infectious diseases at Korea University Guro Hospital, "individuals cannot check the safety of each vaccine. The government must inform the medical staff and the public of the safety information and how to receive treatment for any symptoms."
Experts advise heart patients or people with family histories of heart disease to get a checkup before getting the vaccine. People who develop chest pain, fever or shortness of breath within a week after vaccination should immediately visit a hospital.
Chun also recommended young people get tested for Covid-19 with a home testing kit on the day of getting their vaccines.
“As there are many Covid-19 patients, especially among young people who are often asymptomatic or have weak symptoms, many tend to think the side effects are from the vaccine, yet they are actually from the virus,” Chun said.
“Side effects could be worse in someone with Covid-19, with the vaccine immune response and the virus symptoms mixed together,” she explained. Using home testing kits could prevent such cases if people who test positive cancel their vaccinations.
Meanwhile, the country saw 1,509 more Covid-19 cases on Tuesday, with the total caseload coming to 239,287.
https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2021/08/24/national/socialAffairs/covid19-vaccine-deaths/20210824191200483.html
I'm vaccinated, but my boyfriend isn't. This is what happens when there are differentiated measures.
PERSPECTIVE: On Aug. 6, the Multi-Ministry Taskforce announced that, along with relaxing some safe distancing measures, Singapore would begin vaccination-differentiated measures from Aug. 10. But what happens when one party in the relationship has not gotten their vaccination yet?
Being fully vaccinated since June this year, I was thrilled to finally be able to eat out, after what seemed like ages of dealing with take-aways and deliveries.
But my initial excitement was quickly dampened when I realised that I wouldn’t be able to enjoy any of these perks with my boyfriend, who refuses to get vaccinated (with Pfizer or Moderna, at least).
Our different views on the vaccine,and subsequently our decisions on whether to take it or not, have never really been a problem — up till now.
Over the last couple of weeks, I found myself becoming increasingly annoyed at him for what seemed like him holding us back from enjoying dates together.
Our prior discussions about this issue haven’t always been amicable, and the issue is something that we are still grappling with.
We sat down for a (much calmer) conversation about his decision, and the potential impact of this decision on our relationship. Here's how our conversation went.
Me: When did you first decide that you weren’t going to get vaccinated? How did you come to this decision?
Boyfriend: I think I first decided when the Pfizer vaccine was undergoing development and when I saw the haste at which it was being developed.
I felt uneasy because there wasn't enough data to support taking mRNA vaccines. My main concern is that you don’t know what the long-term effects are and that it seems rather pointless to be taking such a vaccine when you could put it off and get a better vaccine in the future.
I would say I’m definitely more inclined to take non-mRNA vaccines (such as Sinovac, Sinopharm, or Novavax).
Did you consider how your decision to not get vaccinated would affect me, or our relationship?
I mean I did consider it, of course. But I felt that it wouldn’t make much of a difference to our dates. Whether we go to a restaurant or a hawker centre, I don’t feel like it would affect the quality of our dates as much because we’re still spending time with each other.
Like, I don’t feel that there’s much that we can’t do, except for going out to restaurants, because I’m not vaccinated. I didn’t feel like that would be a major issue.
I mean I definitely felt a bit sian because I felt like we were being held back from doing a lot of things.
Like what?
Like eating out, for example. Going out to a new restaurant is something that we like to do on dates.
And also because of the measures a month before, we’ve had to dabao food or eat at home for so long. Now that the measures are lifted for vaccinated people, it just feels extra sian that I won’t be able to do that with you. Especially when I see everyone else being able to go out.
I understand that. I’m sorry, but what can I do?
Get vaccinated lor *laughs*.
No thank you!
Actually, why do you trust Sinovac, Sinopharm and Novavax more than Pfizer and Moderna?
In general, I think that these types of vaccines are tried and tested, compared to mRNA vaccines. And that’s a given, right? Because we understand the technology and the long-term side effects of whole-virus and protein vaccines, but not mRNA vaccines.
I don’t think I would be opposed to an mRNA vaccine, like Pfizer, for example, if there were long-term data on it. But you just wouldn’t have that data until at least five years from now.
Did you feel like I wasn’t being understanding when I was expressing my frustration towards you about your decision not to get vaccinated?
Yes definitely, I felt annoyed that you weren’t being understanding towards me. I felt like you didn’t really understand my thought process behind why I didn’t want to get it. I would’ve liked for you to accept my decision.
Oh yeah, for sure la, I thought that your decision-making process was flawed. I thought that you didn’t wanna get vaccinated because you read too many conspiracy theories.
Yeah, I was definitely annoyed by that.
Do you think we’ve been able to respect each other’s decisions about whether we want to get vaccinated?
I know I’ve respected your decision just fine; I never had an issue with it. I’m all for people getting the vaccine if they want. You want to get the vaccine just get la, just don’t ask me to get it.
I don't have a moral angle here. Take it or not, it's up to you.
But then how do you reconcile your own hesitancy towards getting the vaccine and my decision to get it?
When it comes to the potential side effects, I am concerned about you, for sure. I'll be quite sad if you were to suffer any side effects. But I can understand your decision to take the vaccine. It’s your decision, I don’t have a problem with it.
Do you think my decision-making process was flawed, then?
I don’t think it was flawed, but I think you could have afforded to wait. Because what has the vaccine afforded you? There’s nothing you have done from the time you’ve gotten the vaccine till now, that you couldn’t have done because you were vaccinated. Correct?
I’ve been able to go out to restaurants, and meet my (vaccinated) friends.
Okay, fair. But I definitely think you could’ve afforded to wait another six months, see how things pan out, see what other developments there are, and then come to a decision.
I think that you not getting vaccinated as a personal decision is fine. You are probably at a lower risk of getting Covid-19 because you aren’t working in industries where you are constantly exposed to people, nor are you typically around people who might be exposed to the virus. Ultimately, I was more annoyed at the fact that we can’t go out.
Yeah I don’t recall you that ever told me to take it because of my safety or whatever. I think most of our arguments centred around the going out issue.
What about not being able to travel together?
I remember we had this conversation way back, about how there are going to be vaccine passports or travel restrictions for unvaccinated people in the future. Regarding how we weren’t going to be able to travel together, and I asked you, “Are you okay with that? That you can’t travel with me, even though I really want to go on a holiday with you?” Do you remember that conversation?
Yeah, I just told you to go by yourself.
But I wanted to go with you. So you were okay with not going on holidays with me?
Yeah. I mean, I meant it.
*Laughs*
I mean it’s not that I didn’t wanna go with you, but it’s that I can’t. And I am willing to make that sacrifice.
But you’re sacrificing an experience for the both of us. Did you consider how I would feel about not being able to go out or travel with my boyfriend?
I did la, but I was more concerned about my safety. I definitely understand where you’re coming from. It’s just that I chose to value my safety more.
So it’s more like we had our own cost-benefit analyses, when it came to deciding whether we should get vaccinated or not.
Yeah exactly, we both prioritise things a little differently. So you prioritise being able to go out, travel, and do all these things, and you place less importance on the potential long-term side effects.
Whereas I prioritise my long-term health, and I care less about going out. I’m a homebody.
And by the way, I’m not doubting that the vaccines work, they do work. It’s just that I don’t think I should be taking a vaccine that could be bad for me in the long run.
Now that the restrictions have been announced, were there any situations where we had to face the consequences of the both of us not being vaccinated? Do you feel it's worth it?
I don’t think there have been any major consequences. Okay, we can’t go to restaurants, or (vaccinated-only) cinemas, but that’s about it, I feel. There’s nothing that made me think “Wah, I really wish I was vaccinated”.
I think also that’s because we’ve found other ways to accommodate your decision.
Yeah, like the picnics, hawker centres, or hanging out at home. So I still don’t feel like it’s a big deal.
What about stuff like concerts that I want to go to with you?
That one a bit bopian (no choice) la, you have to go without me. Aiya, but who’s touring now, who’s coming to Singapore now anyways?
I don’t know, maybe in like four months’ time?
Well, maybe. If that’s really the case, then the pre-event swab rule should still apply. I’ll just go get swabbed, it’s not a big deal. If I really want to go for something I’ll definitely be willing to get swabbed.
What do you think our path forward looks like, both ideologically and logistically?
Do you plan on getting vaccinated? Do you think that this difference in opinion will continue to come up as an issue in our relationship, and in what cases?
I think it would come up again if the measures were changed. Like if, for instance, the situation gets worse, and they don’t allow unvaccinated people to visit hawker centres, then I guess it would be an issue.
I do plan on getting vaccinated, eventually. I’m looking at good vaccine alternatives, so given a good alternative, I would take it.
Vaccines like Sinopharm and Novavax seem pretty good to me, so when they become available in Singapore, I would be willing to take them.
I don’t think our path would be that affected in the long run, because I see myself getting vaccinated eventually. By the time travel comes up, I see myself getting vaccinated by then.
So I guess in the meantime we’ll just live with this current arrangement? Until the vaccines that you think are okay become available here?
Yeah, it seems like it.
Do you foresee that the next couple of months will be hard?
Well I think there might be frustrations on your end, if there’s some things we can’t do together. But *laughs* hopefully, it won’t be too bad. Hopefully we’ll be able to work around what it is we want to do.
https://mothership.sg/2021/08/unvaccinated-relationship-impact-commentary/
‘Is it anti-vax to be concerned?’: Magazine editor reports changes to period after Covid jab, the latest in over 30,000 UK women
At least 30,304 British women have disclosed changes to their menstrual cycle after getting vaccinated against Covid-19. An editor for The Spectator is one of the most recently affected, and says many more are afraid to come out.
Lara Prendergast, an executive editor at London's Spectator magazine, raised some concerning questions in a column on Thursday after reporting that she had been affected since receiving her first Pfizer dose in May.
Noting that it is an “uncomfortable” and sensitive topic to discuss – indicating that the true number of women with period-related vaccine side effects could be far greater than the 30,304 documented – Prendergast revealed that her cycle has not been right since she was vaccinated months ago.
“Millions of British women have been jabbed, so 30,304 reports will be a tiny proportion: a negligible number, you might say. But it doesn't seem negligible if you're one of those women” she wrote, adding that friends have told her “they've also been affected” but “didn't report it either” due to the topic being both awkward and sensitive, and because of fears of being branded an ‘anti-vaxxer’.
“Is it ‘anti-vaxx’ to be concerned that these jabs may be having an effect on our menstrual cycles?” Prendergast questioned, before claiming that a women's health doctor had told her it is not exactly normal “for vaccines to affect periods in such a way.”
Prendergast also expressed concern that “if the jabs are affecting so many women's periods, who knows what else might be going on,” noting that millions of women can only “hope and trust” that the medical officials and influencers who are pushing for young women to get vaccinated are right about the allegedly low risks involved.
Though she acknowledged that officials, such as Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) President Dr. Edward Morris, have assured women that it would be impossible for the vaccines to affect a woman's fertility, Prendergast pointed out that most women do “associate their periods with their fertility,” and that side effects are thus extremely alarming to those who experience them.
“A month after my second jab, I make a note that my latest cycle is messed up, once again,” she concluded in the column.
The UK's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has advised concerned women that menstrual issues are “mostly transient in nature” and that “there is no evidence to suggest that Covid-19 vaccines will affect fertility and the ability to have children.”
RCOG Vice President Dr Jo Mountfield has also said that though “changes to periods can be concerning,” it appears “most women's menstrual cycles return to normal after one to two cycles.”
Menstrual cycle changes do not appear on the list of side effects given to Brits before they receive a Covid-19 vaccine in the UK.
The UK government announced on Monday that the MHRA was reviewing “suspected side effects of menstrual disorders and unexpected vaginal bleeding following vaccination against Covid-19 in the UK.”
https://www.rt.com/uk/532487-spectator-editor-covid-vaccine/
S'pore teen who suffered cardiac arrest after Covid-19 jab undergoing rehab, gets $225k in financial assistance
SINGAPORE - A 16-year-old boy who suffered a cardiac arrest after his first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine is recovering steadily, and has received $225,000 under the Vaccine Injury Financial Assistance Programme (VIFAP).
He is currently undergoing inpatient rehabilitation and can perform his activities of daily living without assistance, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said in a statement on Monday (Aug 16).
"He will likely be discharged in the coming weeks, but will likely require outpatient rehabilitation for some time before he can return to school and resume other activities," it said.
The medical team will continue his treatment and monitor his condition, it added.
The 16-year-old suffered a cardiac arrest on July 3, six days after receiving the vaccine. He had developed acute severe myocarditis, or inflammation of the heart muscle, which led to the cardiac arrest.
MOH said the myocarditis was likely a serious adverse event caused by the vaccine, which may have been aggravated by the youth's strenuous lifting of weights and high consumption of caffeine through energy drinks and supplements.
The youth and his family will get a one-time payment of $225,000 under the VIFAP.
"The independent clinical panel appointed to assess and adjudicate the VIFAP application found that while he has made good improvement, because his condition was severe and critical, he will require treatment and rehabilitation for some time yet to continue his recovery," MOH said.
The ministry advised people to avoid strenuous physical activity for one week after receiving their first and second doses of the vaccine.
Individuals should seek medical attention promptly if they develop chest pain, shortness of breath or abnormal heartbeats, it added.
Those who developed myocarditis from their first dose of the mRNA Covid-19 vaccines should also not receive further doses of it.
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/health/teen-who-suffered-cardiac-arrest-after-covid-19-jab-undergoing-rehab-gets-225k-in
An Eileen Loh alleges that a three year old girl has died after being infected with COVID-19, MOH says she's lying!
Looks like Novavax ≡ NoMoreVax
Dude becomes paralyzed after receiving 2nd dose of the Moderna vaccine:
Seriously LMFAO @ Lim Tean for writing a full essay recounting his pleasant vaccination experience, must have been a slow news day for him.
This guy's kkj went limp after he got vaccinated, I read liao feel damn scared!
Real or fake? Xmm registers a staggering thermometer reading of 42.3°C after taking a dose of the Pfizer vaccine, though her fever subsided afterward
Am now fully protected! :)
PS: @The Sand Spider , if you have nothing good to say, please just shut up.
Getting my first dose at Taman Jurong CC - wish me luck guys!
16-year-old boy who suffered suspected cardiac arrest after Covid-19 jab out of ICU, condition stable: MOH
SINGAPORE — The 16-year-old boy who was in critical condition after a suspected cardiac arrest six days after his first Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine jab is now out of the intensive care unit.
The Ministry of Health said on Thursday (July 15) in response to TODAY’s queries: “The patient has been transferred from the intensive care unit to a high dependency ward in the coronary care unit for close monitoring and observation.
“His medical condition remains stable. We are still investigating the underlying cause.”
The Government's Covid-19 task force said previously that apart from possible complications from vaccination, it is looking into whether health supplements might have contributed to the boy's cardiac arrest.
A cardiac arrest is an abrupt electrical malfunction in the heart that causes it to pump ineffectively, resulting in vital organs being unable to receive blood and oxygen.
MOH said: “Our priority is the well-being of the patient and he is under the close medical care of an excellent team in the National University Hospital and our hopes and well wishes are with him and his family for a steady recovery.”
The ministry also reiterated that the recent demise of a 16-year-old whose obituary made its rounds in chat groups was not vaccine-related. “He had not received any doses of Covid-19 vaccine.”
The ministry had put up a Facebook post on Wednesday evening saying that it was aware of talk on Facebook, Telegram and WhatsApp chat groups featuring an obituary, leading to conjecture that a teenager died from a severe adverse event related to the coronavirus vaccine.
“We wish to clarify that the demise mentioned in these posts and messages was not vaccine-related.”
It added: “We urge the public not to spread unsubstantiated information that may add to the family's grief or cause public alarm.”
On Thursday, it stressed that the case is unrelated to the 16-year-old male patient that is now out of intensive care, who had collapsed after a strenuous gym workout.
https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/16-year-old-boy-who-suffered-suspected-cardiac-arrest-after-covid-19-jab-out-icu-condition
MOH debunks rumours linking boy's death to COVID vaccination
SINGAPORE — The Ministry of Health (MOH) has debunked rumours that a 16-year-old boy had recently died after receiving COVID-19 vaccination.
In a Facebook post on Wednesday (14 July) evening, MOH said it was aware of "speculation in Facebook, Telegram and WhatsApp chat groups" about an obituary that led to the "conjecture that the teenager had died from a vaccine-related severe adverse event.
"We wish to clarify that the demise mentioned in these posts and messages was not vaccine-related," said the MOH.
"We urge the public not to spread unsubstantiated information which may add to the family’s grief or cause public alarm unnecessarily."
The obituary in question stated that the boy, who was born in 2005, had died on 10 July.
The MOH last Monday said that it is investigating an incident involving a 16-year-old boy who suffered a cardiac arrest after lifting weights six days into receiving his first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech/Comirnaty COVID-19 vaccine.
A senior MOH official later revealed that the boy had been taking supplements and was lifting weights almost twice his body weight.
According to the ministry's last update, the boy remains in critical condition at the National University Hospital's intensive care unit.
As of 30 June, there have been 12 reports of myocarditis, or inflammation of the heart muscle, and pericarditis, or inflammation of the lining around the heart, occurring in individuals following their vaccinations with mRNA COVID-19 vaccines. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines authorised for use in Singapore under the nationwide programme are based on mRNA technology.
Five of the cases occurred in adults aged 30 years old and above.
The remaining seven involved males aged below 30 years old, higher than expected for the particular age group, based on background incidence rates.
https://sg.news.yahoo.com/moh-debunks-posts-boy-death-covid-vaccination-105131155.html
https://www.facebook.com/joann.tan.378
Should I get my second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine earlier? Hmm
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/singapore-accelerates-covid-19-vaccination-citizens-priority-15082864
KKH must come clean!!!!!
Singapore sees early rush for Sinovac vaccine
SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Offering Sinovac Biotech COVID-19 vaccines to the public in Singapore for the first time since Friday, several private clinics reported overwhelming demand for the Chinese-made shot, despite already available rival vaccines having far higher efficacy.
Singapore has vaccinated almost half its 5.7 million population with at least one dose of the vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna. Both have shown efficacy rates of well over 90% against symptomatic disease in clinical trials, compared with Sinovac's 51%.
Earlier this week, officials in neighbouring Indonesia warned that more than 350 medical workers have caught COVID-19 despite being vaccinated with Sinovac and dozens have been hospitalised, raising concerns about its efficacy against more infectious variants.
Evidence from other countries showed people who had taken the Sinovac vaccine were still getting infected, Kenneth Mak, Singapore's director of medical services, said on Friday.
"There is a significant risk of vaccine breakthrough," he said, referring to the report on Indonesian healthcare workers.
A number of the people rushing for the Sinovac shot on the first day of its availability in Singapore were Chinese nationals, who felt it would make it easier to travel home without going through quarantine.
Singapore allowed the usage of the Sinovac vaccine by private healthcare institutions under a special access route, following an emergency use approval by the World Health Organization (WHO) earlier this month. Singapore said it is awaiting critical data from Sinovac before including it in the national vaccination programme.
Meantime, authorities have selected 24 private clinics to administer its current stock of 200,000 doses. The clinics are charging between S$10-25 ($7.5-$18.6 ) per dose.
"We have about 2,400 bookings, so that stretches from right now until end of July," Louis Tan, CEO at StarMed Specialist Centre, said on Saturday. He said many of those who made the Sinovac bookings tend to be in their 40s and above.
Wee Healthfirst, another approved clinic, put a notice at its entrance on Friday, saying it had stopped reservations for the vaccine until next Thursday, citing "overwhelming demand". A receptionist said about 1,000 people had registered there.
Leong Hoe Nam, an infectious diseases doctor at Rophi Clinic, also said he had been "overwhelmed" by people wanting the Sinovac shot.
Tang Guang Yu, a 49-year-old engineer, was among the Chinese nationals resident in Singapore who waited for the Sinovac shot rather than take a foreign-made vaccine that he thought might not berecognised by authorities back home.
"No one wants to be quarantined for a month, I don't have so many days of leave," Tang told Reuters as he queued outside a clinic.
Travellers to China may have to be quarantined at a facility and at home for up to a month depending on their destination city, regardless of vaccination status, according to the Chinese government website.
Other people said they have more confidence in the Sinovac vaccine since it is based on conventional technology, while those developed by Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna use a newly developed messenger RNA platform.
"The mRNA technology has been around for 30 years, but it has never been injected into human until recently due to COVID-19 emergency, how safe it is?" asked Singaporean Chua Kwang Hwee, 62, as he lined up outside a clinic to enquire about getting the Sinovac shot.
Singapore's health ministry says persons with a history of allergic reaction or anaphylaxis to mRNA COVID-19 vaccine or its components as well as severely immunocompromised individuals should not receive the mRNA-based vaccines.
Sinovac vaccine uses an inactivated or killed virus that cannot replicate in human cells to trigger an immune response.
In recent weeks, several social media messages have popped up saying inactivated virus COVID-19 vaccines, like Sinovac's, provide superior protection against variants than mRNA vaccines. Other messages on platforms have said the mRNA vaccines are less safe.
Authorities have rejected these claims, saying they are safe and highly effective.
https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/singapore-sees-first-day-rush-sinovac-vaccine-2021-06-18/
Online booking for Sinovac vaccination is closed @ Icon Cancer Centre:
You can still make an appointment for the Sinovac vaccination @ Aspen Health:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd4Sy81I5euVEkWb5pvaabjDWKpXdyZlE6gEmguhjVkwgMVQA/viewform
List of private clinics offering the Sinovac vaccine:
24 clinics selected to administer Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine; S$10 to S$25 for single dose
SINGAPORE — Twenty-four private healthcare institutions have been selected to administer the Government's stock of Sinovac Covid-19 vaccines, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said on Wednesday (June 16).
Fees range from S$10 to S$25 for a single dose.
Through a special route for as-yet-approved Covid-19 vaccines, the healthcare providers may draw upon MOH's existing stock to administer Sinovac's two-dose vaccine to Singaporeans, permanent residents and those holding long-term passes.
Applications by providers to administer the vaccine were reviewed based on their ability to do so safely, properly and efficiently, MOH said.
Other factors the ministry considered were the providers’ proposed vaccination administration fees, experience in vaccine administration and its compliance history at past licensing inspections.
This was done to ensure that services would be safe and affordable to members of public, it said.
"As these vaccines are being provided to (them) at no cost, individuals should take note that the providers should not charge them for the vaccine cost," MOH added.
The fees listed are also inclusive of consultation and the seven per cent Goods and Services Tax.
"There should not be any additional costs (beyond the vaccination administration fees) charged by these providers," MOH said.
Read more at https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/24-clinics-selected-administer-sinovac-covid-19-vaccine-s10-s25-single-dose
Andrew Tan's mother died 29 hours after receiving the Covid-19 vaccine:
https://www.facebook.com/abundantachiever/posts/10161063220713242
EDMWer cites 4 main reasons why he will not be getting jabbed:
Doctor zeh zeh and nurse mei mei visit your house to give you injection kym?
16 year old boy has has been erroneously given a first dose of the Moderna vaccine:
Explainer: What are the alternate Covid-19 vaccines, how do these differ from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna?
SINGAPORE — The recent decision by the Government to relax Covid-19 vaccination rules will soon allow Singapore residents more access to alternate vaccines, with the first among them likely to be China’s Sinovac.
The Ministry of Health (MOH) said on Monday (May 31) that it will allow a special route for private healthcare providers to administer Covid-19 vaccines that are on the Emergency Use Listing (EUL) of the World Health Organization (WHO).
The list comprises the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines that uses messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) technology, as well as viral vector vaccines such as Oxford-AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson, and inactivated vaccines Sinopharm and Sinovac.
MOH said in response to media queries on Wednesday that it will release more details in the coming days for private healthcare institutions to apply to be licensed providers for the Sinovac vaccine.
It is also studying the possibility for private healthcare institutions to access the 200,000 Sinovac doses in stock, and work out details on pricing, informed consent process and the safety of the patients who prefer to be administered with it.
Some private healthcare groups and general practitioners told TODAY that they are awaiting more guidelines from MOH before they make a decision on providing the alternate vaccines on WHO's list.
Farrer Park Hospital said that it is working with the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) to secure Sinovac's Covid-19 vaccine, though the pricing and number of doses have yet to be ascertained at this point.
It added that both the doctor administering the vaccine and the patient would have to discuss the risks and benefits of using vaccines not registered or authorised by HSA. Before the vaccination, patients will also have to sign an informed consent form to acknowledge the risks involved.
Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said on Monday that there are more than 30,000 individuals in Singapore who are unable to take the mRNA-based vaccines for medical reasons.
He noted that some want alternate vaccines because of their history of anaphylaxis — a severe, life-threatening allergic reaction — which restricts them from taking mRNA vaccines.
The mRNA vaccines, when injected, "instruct" cells in the human body to make a protein similar to a fragment of a virus, so that the body produces antibodies and special immune system cells in response.
Some infectious disease experts told TODAY that while non-mRNA vaccines may not be as effective, they have been reported to have a lower rate of severe allergic reactions.
TODAY takes a closer look at the four non-mRNA vaccines on the EUL, including costs, availability and how they differ from the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines.
WHAT IS THE EUL?
WHO defines it as a procedure for assessing unlicensed vaccines, therapeutics and in-vitro diagnostics during public health emergencies, with the ultimate goal of speeding up the availability of these products to people who need them.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE VACCINES?
Both Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna make use of mRNA technology.
Pfizer-BioNTech has an efficacy rate of 95 per cent, while for Moderna, it is 94 per cent. Both are offered for free to all Singaporeans and long-term residents here.
Here is how they compare to other vaccines on the EUL.
Inactivated vaccines: This is traditional vaccine technology that uses inactivated coronavirus to trigger an immune response. This is a similar method vaccines for diseases such as polio use.
Sinopharm has an efficacy rate of 79 per cent, while Sinovac’s is 51 per cent.
Viral vectors: This vaccine type uses a modified version of a different virus (the vector) to deliver important instructions to human cells to elicit an immune response from vaccinated individuals.
Oxford-AstraZeneca has an efficacy rate of 63 per cent, while Johnson & Johnson’s is 66 per cent.
ARE NON-MRNA VACCINES SAFER?
Professor Dale Fisher, a senior infectious disease consultant at the National University Hospital, said that mRNA vaccines have “come through as a stellar platform” during the pandemic due to their high efficacy rate.
That said, infectious disease specialist Leong Hoe Nam noted that Singapore was previously adopting a “one-size-fits-all for everyone” by only allowing the use of Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines.
“But it doesn't work that way,” he said. “For some individuals, you need an alternative vaccine, such as those with multiple allergies.”
Professor Paul Tambyah, president of the Asia Pacific Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infection, said that the rates of anaphylaxis reported with the viral vector vaccines and the inactivated vaccines are reportedly lower than with the mRNA vaccines.
In an April 18 safety update by HSA, it was stated that the incidence rate of anaphylaxis reported here with Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines is about 1.4 for every 100,000 doses administered.
This is similar to the incidence rates reported overseas of around 0.5 to 2 for every 100,000 doses administered.
In comparison, a report published by the World Allergy Organization in January this year stated that no anaphylaxis events have been reported in clinical trials for Sinovac, Sinopharm and Oxford-AstraZeneca.
The American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology said that the anaphylaxis rate has not been reported for the Johnson & Johnson vaccine as of April 26.
In any case, Prof Tambyah said that the viral vector vaccines come with their own risks of side effects such as rare blood clots, so individuals need to talk to their doctors about the risks and the benefits of the different vaccines.
WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU FALL ILL TAKING AN ALTERNATIVE VACCINE?
In short, you will not be protected.
MOH said that the vaccines are not part of the national vaccine programme, therefore individuals will not be eligible for the Vaccine Injury Financial Assistance Programme for Covid-19 Vaccination should they fall ill after getting inoculated.
The scheme provides one-time goodwill financial assistance to persons who experience serious side effects that are assessed to be related to Covid-19 vaccines administered in Singapore.
Read more at https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/explainer-what-are-alternate-covid-19-vaccines-and-how-do-these-differ-pfizer-biontech-and
This does not inspire confidence at all.
At Least 18 Cases of Apparent Heart Problems in Young People in CT After COVID-19 Vaccine
At least 18 teens and young adults in Connecticut have shown symptoms of heart problems after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, acting health commissioner Dr. Deirdre Gifford said Monday.
Gifford said all but one of the young adults hospitalized for signs of heart problems have been released. Four of those young residents were hospitalized at Yale New Haven Health and three at Connecticut Children's.
"All of the cases that were reported to us were hospitalized, the vast majority for a couple of days," Gifford said at the governor's regular Monday COVID-19 news conference. "One individual that we’re aware of is still hospitalized. The other 17 have been sent home and they’re doing fine."
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says it is investigating after a small number of teens and young adults reported having heart problems after being vaccinated for COVID-19.
A CDC safety committee released an advisory last week to alert doctors of “myocarditis” among younger vaccine recipients after a “relatively few” cases of the unusual heart symptom surfaced.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Monday during a press briefing that President Joe Biden has been informed of the reported cases and that the administration will continue to advise young people to get vaccinated.
“Our health and medical experts still continue to convey that it is the right step for 12- to 15-year-olds to get vaccinated, that these are limited cases, and that, obviously, the risks of contracting COVID are certainly significant even for people of that age,” Psaki said.
Health officials say the reported cases appear to be mild and typically begin within four days after the second dose of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.
The CDC has yet to determine if the vaccines were the cause of the reported heart condition.
“What’s important to know and to recognize is that the rates that we’re seeing of myocarditis are no higher than what we would experience normally,” Dr. Ted O’Connell told NBC San Diego. “So, we don’t know if it’s associated with the vaccine or not.”
What are symptoms of myocarditis?
In mild cases of myocarditis, common symptoms include chest pain and shortness of breath.
In more serious cases, symptoms can include rapid or abnormal heart rhythms, shortness of breath during rest or physical activity, fatigue, and fluid retention with the swelling of limbs.
Medical experts at Mayo Clinic say myocarditis can be fatal if not treated immediately. Heart failure, heart attack, stroke, and sudden cardiac death can occur in severe cases.
What are signs of myocarditis in children?
When children develop myocarditis, some signs and symptoms can include fever, fainting, difficulty in breathing, rapid breathing, and rapid or abnormal heart rhythms.
Health experts urge both children and adults who may be experiencing any of these symptoms to immediately seek medical attention.
How can myocarditis be treated?
In many cases of myocarditis, the inflamed heart condition can improve on its own.
Mayo Clinic doctors say treatment focuses on the cause of the condition and symptoms, such as heart failure and shortness of breath.
Doctors recommend getting a lot of rest and taking medication to help fight off the infection. Experts say that although antiviral medications are available, they are not proven effective in treatment for most cases of the heart condition.
https://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/coronavirus/connecticut-confirms-at-least-18-cases-of-apparent-heart-problems-in-young-people-after-covid-19-vaccination/2494534/
Slightly OT but still in the same vein, given Pinky's recent push to aggressively innoculate young children it would be prudent for parents to consider things very carefully and not be swayed by government propaganda. Don't simply follow the herd; do your own research before making an informed decision accordingly - getting jabbed could be a matter of life or death for your precious darlings.
Tiagong coconut water sellers huat big big this time round!
@Emboldened How old is your mum?
Leemember - Uncle Phua Chu Kang says V is for VictorLee!