Addressing Concerns of Religious Groups Before Approving COVID-19 Vaccines for Use in Singapore

Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim asked the Minister for Health (a) whether the Ministry will consider consulting or addressing concerns of religious groups before approving COVID-19 vaccines for use in Singapore, particularly vaccines which are alleged to pose a moral dilemma such as the use of abortion-derived cell lines in the production of such vaccines; and (b) whether the Government will allow a person to select the vaccines based on their religious or moral preference.

The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) and the Expert Committee on COVID-19 Vaccination approve vaccines for use in Singapore based on the safety, quality and effectiveness of the vaccines.

Each vaccination centre will only administer one type of vaccine at any time. Individuals may select their preferred vaccination centre when making their appointment via the booking system, subject to availability of appointment slots.

The Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines, which are currently the only COVID-19 vaccines that have been authorised by HSA for use in Singapore, did not use abortion-derived cell lines in their production and development.

We have not been notified of any concerns regarding the use of the vaccines by any religious bodies or authorities in Singapore. We encourage all Singaporeans and long-term residents who are medically eligible to come forward for vaccination when your turn comes, so that as a society, we can keep each other safe from the disease.