Govt in talks with Pfizer, other pharmaceutical firms on Covid-19 vaccines: Gan Kim Yong

• Singapore in discussions with firms, including Pfizer, on securing Covid-19 vaccines
• But the country does not intend to vaccinate the entire population
• The Government said a broad portfolio of vaccines would improve Singapore’s chances of securing a suitable vaccine

SINGAPORE — Singapore is in talks with various pharmaceutical firms including Pfizer on Covid-19 vaccines, Health Minister Gan Kim Yong said on Tuesday (Nov 10).

His comments came a day after the American firm and its partner, German company BioNTech, announced results pointing to their vaccine being more than 90 per cent effective against the coronavirus.

Due to the confidentiality of the negotiations, Mr Gan could not provide more details on the discussions with Pfizer, adding that the Government was also in talks with “several pharmaceutical companies that are doing clinical trials”.

Mr Gan — who co-chairs a governmental task force tackling Covid-19 — said, though, that even with the availability of vaccines, Singapore probably does not intend to vaccinate the entire population.

“And even if we were to vaccinate the entire population, it will take time to do so,” he said at a press conference by the task force.

He added that a vaccine may not be a silver bullet to end the pandemic but is an important part of an “arsenal of measures against Covid-19”.

In the meantime, it is important for citizens to continue taking precautions against the virus, Mr Gan said.

The Ministry of Health (MOH) said that a broad and diversified portfolio of vaccines would improve Singapore’s chances of securing a suitable vaccine against Covid-19.

It added that while Singapore has expanded its vaccine portfolio with a number of pharmaceutical firms that use different technologies and their vaccines are in different phases of clinical trials, not all will succeed or be suitable, safe and efficacious for all segments of the population.

There are a range of Covid-19 vaccines in development and undergoing clinical trials globally.

MOH said that different vaccinations may bring about varying degrees of protection against a disease, and work hand-in-hand with other precautions such as contact tracing to prevent further disease transmission.

Singapore, it added, has been actively monitoring international progress in Covid-19 vaccine development and has taken steps to secure vaccination access for its populace in the midst of expected strong global demand.

Apart from expanding its vaccine portfolio, Singapore is a supporter of and active participant in the work of the Covid-19 Vaccine Global Access Facility. This facility enables countries around the world to pool risk and resources to gain quicker access to a portfolio of vaccines from various developers.

Even as scientists race against the clock to secure a viable vaccine against the virus, which has claimed nearly 1.3 million lives worldwide, MOH said that the safety of Singaporeans is a top priority.

To ensure this, it set up last month an expert committee on Covid-19 vaccination.

It comprises experts in infectious diseases, immunology and other relevant fields who are closely tracking data on clinical trials as they become available, and advising on the suitability, safety and efficacy of the vaccines. They will also recommend the vaccination approach for different segments of the population.

Mr Gan said that the Government will provide more information on the expert committee soon.

MOH said: “Meanwhile, we will continue to closely track the progress of the different vaccine candidates under development globally in the next few months and will provide further updates on our plans.”

Also speaking at the press conference, Education Minister Lawrence Wong — the other co-chair of the task force — reiterated that the Government could introduce the third phase of reopening of the economy sometime before the end of the year.

He said that this would happen when the participation rate in the TraceTogether programme hits 70 per cent of the population, safe distancing ambassadors assess that members of the public are adhering to safety measures properly, and necessary testing capabilities are in place.

“With all three indicators showing green lights, we will be in a position to enter Phase Three,” Mr Wong said.

“We keep an open mind. There may be a chance we do it by the end of the year. It’s more important that we do it right than rush into Phase Three and end up with bad consequences down the road.”