Data on Severity of Illness Experienced by COVID-19 Vaccinated Patients and Evaluation of Effectiveness of Vaccines for Booster Jabs

Debated in Parliament on 1 Nov 2021.

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The Minister for Health provided data showing that vaccinated individuals in Singapore had significantly lower mortality and severe disease rates compared to the unvaccinated, with mRNA vaccines showing about 90% protection against severe disease and halving transmission risk.
Non-mRNA vaccines like Sinovac-CoronaVac have lower uptake and data is limited, but international studies indicate slightly lower effectiveness against symptomatic infection and similar safety profiles to mRNA vaccines.
The Minister confirmed that current evidence supports mRNA vaccines for booster doses due to stronger antibody and protection levels, but the government allows individuals to choose different vaccines, including non-mRNA options, for boosters if they prefer.
The Health Sciences Authority monitors vaccine safety, and adverse event rates are low and similar across vaccine types, with management based on local and international data.

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Yip Hon Weng

Mr Yip Hon Weng asked the Minister for Health amongst the vaccinated patients in Singapore who (i) required ICU stay or (ii) died respectively, how many got a mRNA vaccine and how many had a non-mRNA vaccine.

Summary written by AI (learn more)

The Minister for Health provided data showing that vaccinated individuals in Singapore had significantly lower mortality and severe disease rates compared to the unvaccinated, with mRNA vaccines showing about 90% protection against severe disease and halving transmission risk.
Non-mRNA vaccines like Sinovac-CoronaVac have lower uptake and data is limited, but international studies indicate slightly lower effectiveness against symptomatic infection and similar safety profiles to mRNA vaccines.
The Minister confirmed that current evidence supports mRNA vaccines for booster doses due to stronger antibody and protection levels, but the government allows individuals to choose different vaccines, including non-mRNA options, for boosters if they prefer.
The Health Sciences Authority monitors vaccine safety, and adverse event rates are low and similar across vaccine types, with management based on local and international data.

Questions identified by AI (learn more)

Data on Severity of Illness Experienced by COVID-19 Vaccinated Patients and Evaluation of Effectiveness of Vaccines for Booster Jabs | PAPERCUTS

Data on Severity of Illness Experienced by COVID-19 Vaccinated Patients and Evaluation of Effectiveness of Vaccines for Booster Jabs

Debated in Parliament on 1 Nov 2021.

Summary written by AI (learn more)

The Minister for Health provided data showing that vaccinated individuals in Singapore had significantly lower mortality and severe disease rates compared to the unvaccinated, with mRNA vaccines showing about 90% protection against severe disease and halving transmission risk.
Non-mRNA vaccines like Sinovac-CoronaVac have lower uptake and data is limited, but international studies indicate slightly lower effectiveness against symptomatic infection and similar safety profiles to mRNA vaccines.
The Minister confirmed that current evidence supports mRNA vaccines for booster doses due to stronger antibody and protection levels, but the government allows individuals to choose different vaccines, including non-mRNA options, for boosters if they prefer.
The Health Sciences Authority monitors vaccine safety, and adverse event rates are low and similar across vaccine types, with management based on local and international data.

Questions identified by AI (learn more)

Full Transcript

Yip Hon Weng

Summary written by AI (learn more)

The Minister for Health provided data showing that vaccinated individuals in Singapore had significantly lower mortality and severe disease rates compared to the unvaccinated, with mRNA vaccines showing about 90% protection against severe disease and halving transmission risk.
Non-mRNA vaccines like Sinovac-CoronaVac have lower uptake and data is limited, but international studies indicate slightly lower effectiveness against symptomatic infection and similar safety profiles to mRNA vaccines.
The Minister confirmed that current evidence supports mRNA vaccines for booster doses due to stronger antibody and protection levels, but the government allows individuals to choose different vaccines, including non-mRNA options, for boosters if they prefer.
The Health Sciences Authority monitors vaccine safety, and adverse event rates are low and similar across vaccine types, with management based on local and international data.

Questions identified by AI (learn more)

Ong Ye Kung

Members are interested to know how different COVID-19 vaccines compare in terms of their protection. As we roll out our vaccination and booster programmes, MOH and HSA have continued to collate and analyse data on the effectiveness and safety for different vaccines. The following are what we have found out so far.

First, there is a big difference between being vaccinated and not vaccinated. Between 1 May 2021 to 30 September 2021, the COVID-19 mortality rate was 7.5 per million persons among those vaccinated with the two mRNA vaccines. In contrast, the mortality rate among those who were unvaccinated or partially vaccinated was 92 per million persons. In the same period, the risk of severe disease, including the need for intensive care and/or oxygen supplementation, was 86 per million persons for those vaccinated with the two mRNA vaccines, and around 530 per million persons for those who were unvaccinated or partially vaccinated.

Second, both mRNA vaccines in our National Vaccination Programme work very well. Both mRNA vaccines protected infected persons against severe disease by around 90%. The mRNA vaccines also reduced the risk of infection by around 40% and halved the risk of onward transmission.

However, a comparison with the non-mRNA vaccines cannot be made at this time, as the number of persons vaccinated with them is much smaller. Less than 2% of the population was fully vaccinated with Sinovac-CoronaVac as of 30 September 2021. Further, in Singapore, a very small proportion of seniors aged 60 years and above chose to be vaccinated with Sinovac-CoronaVac, as the take-up has been mostly in younger people. In a recent study in Chile, Sinovac-CoronaVac was found to confer 58% protection against symptomatic infection compared to 88% for Pfizer. The corresponding figures for protection against severe illness requiring ICU care were 90% and 98% respectively.

Current evidence shows that persons vaccinated and boosted with the PSAR-authorised mRNA vaccines develop the strongest boosting in antibody levels and protection against infection and severe disease, compared to other COVID-19 vaccines.

The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) closely monitors the safety of the COVID-19 vaccines. As of 18 October 2021, the rates of reported Severe Adverse Events for Sinovac-CoronaVac and the mRNA vaccines were similar, at around 0.005%. Management of adverse events from vaccines, as with other conditions, is evidence-based and takes into consideration local and international data as well as the patient’s medical condition.

Data on Severity of Illness Experienced by COVID-19 Vaccinated Patients and Evaluation of Effectiveness of Vaccines for Booster Jabs

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Questions Identified

Full Transcript

Yip Hon Weng

Summary

Questions Identified

Data on Severity of Illness Experienced by COVID-19 Vaccinated Patients and Evaluation of Effectiveness of Vaccines for Booster Jabs

Summary

Questions Identified

Full Transcript

Yip Hon Weng

Summary

Questions Identified

Cheng Hsing Yao

Dennis Tan Lip Fong

Gerald Giam Yean Song

Leon Perera

Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim

Ong Ye Kung