Debated in Parliament on 5 Apr 2022.
Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim asked the Minister for Health in light of the approval of Novavax's Nuvaxovid COVID-19 vaccine in Singapore for the national vaccination programme (a) whether there are any plans to allow for voluntary selection of Nuvaxovid as a vaccine, instead of mRNA vaccines; and (b) whether there are any plans to allow for voluntary selection of Nuvaxovid for those aged 12 to 17, given the positive results of trials for this age group and the severe restrictions still in place for selection of Sinovac-CoronaVac.
Based on current practice, when Nuvaxovid is made available in Singapore as a vaccine under the National COVID-19 Vaccination Programme, individuals can exercise choice of vaccine, so long as usage is in accordance with the recommendations of the Expert Committee on COVID-19 Vaccination.
While Novavax had announced that the vaccine was found to be 80% effective against COVID-19 in a late-stage trial in adolescents aged 12 to 17 when the Delta variant was dominant, the company has not applied for the use of vaccine for persons under 18 years. The Health Sciences Authority and EC19V will evaluate the data from this study and will continue to monitor for more information on the efficacy and safety of Novavax’s Nuvaxovid COVID-19 vaccine before making the appropriate recommendations for this age group.
PAPERCUTS