Sinovac arrives in SG, selected clinics allowed to administer vaccine at a fee

[Jamesc]

Pfizer is a trusted brand. 

Some old men have been using it for years with very pleasing results.

[Jamesc]

Needless to say Pfizer reputation has been raisng over the years.

You cannot argue against 96% efficacy rate.

[CremornePt]

Politics aside...

Since hardly anyone's infected in Singapore at the moment (only 1 person in ICU) & strong safety measures in place to hopefully keep it that way (+ many HCW & frontliners already vaccinated as well), our primary objective is building herd immunity & not staving off a raging out-of-control wave of sick + fatalities.

So we've got a bit of time to make this right.

It'll be very difficult if not impossible getting +80% of the entire population innoculated. (children aren't eligible for one)

Hence it's critical to target the suppliers with the highest efficacy.

Innoculating the population with a less efficacious vaccine simply puts us further away from our herd immunity objective.

These modern mRNA vaccines appear to perform impressingly well.

I also note, that they seem designed to be easily modified towards new variants of the virus.

6 hours ago, Turboflat4 said:

But I'll tell you one thing. If it's for my wife and son (who would belong to the "general public") group, I will NOT be encouraging them to go with Sinovac if that's the only option remaining.

Agree completely.

Edited February 25, 2021 by CremornePt

[Jamesc]

Its good planning lah.

Just buy some in case cannot get the good one.

If can get the good one can donate to Covax.

Worse case we got enough

Best case we donate to Covex.

[zipping]

https://mothership.sg/2021/02/covid-19-vaccines-the-difference-between-pfizer-sinovac/

 

Covid-19 vaccines: Difference between Pfizer & Sinovac, explained 

MS Explains: Countries around the world are racing to get their hands on Covid-19 vaccines. How do they work and how safe are they? We find out. 

Joshua Lee | February 25, 2021, 12:25 PM 

Singapore has received the first shipment of Sinovac's Covid-19 vaccine, CoronaVac. 

As of February 24, the vaccine is not yet approved for pandemic use by the Health Sciences Authority (HSA). 

There are currently two vaccines that have been approved in Singapore: Pfizer-BioNTech's BNT162b2 and Moderna's mRNA-1273. 

All three vaccines — by Sinovac, Pfizer-BioNTech, and Moderna — were secured by the Singapore government last year via Advance Purchase Agreements. 

Covid-19 vaccines generally work by triggering the body's immune response to the virus that causes the disease — SARS-CoV-2. 

The body then remembers it and activates the same response when it is infected. 

However, different vaccines trigger the body's immune response differently. 

The Covid-19 vaccine by Sinovac uses an inactivated virus, while those by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna utilise mRNA technology. 

What is an inactivated vaccine? 

Inactivated vaccines use a "killed" version of the virus, which is treated with UV light or chemicals so that it cannot cause disease. 

The killed virus is then introduced into the body so that its antigens (the components that stimulate the immune system) will trigger an immune response. 

Here's an analogy to explain how inactivated vaccines work. 

A group of gangsters (SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19) has been terrorising your neighbourhood.  You want to protect your house (your body) from these intruders, all of whom sport the same spiky hairstyle, which, you come to learn, is the trademark of this particular gang. 

The police finds one of the gang members, clubs him on the head, and drags him all the way into your house. 

You bring this unconscious intruder to your dog (your immune system), and train it to bite people with the same spiky hairstyle. 

The next time one of these gang members visits your house, the hope is that your dog will attack him with gusto automatically. 

This method is also used in vaccines that combat polio and rabies. 

Inactivated vaccines are typically not as strong as live vaccines, so typically, several doses are needed over time. 

This is why some vaccines are administered with an initial dose, followed by booster shots later on. 

A 3D print of SARS-CoV-2. The entire virus — albeit not a live one — is used in inactivated vaccines. Image via. 

CoronaVac: Mild symptoms, but efficacy inconsistent 

CoronaVac by Sinovac is an example of an inactivated vaccine. 

One of CoronaVac's advantages is that it can be stored in a normal refrigerator at 2-8°C without the need for for super-cool storage like those used for mRNA vaccines (elaborated more below). 

While the Ministry of Health (MOH) has said that the HSA is currently waiting to assess the safety and efficacy of CoronaVac, different trials for the vaccine have produced inconsistent efficacy results. 

CoronaVac's clinical trial in Bandung, the capital of West Java province, yielded an efficacy rate of 65.3 per cent. 

The clinical trial in Turkey, however, produced an efficacy rate of 91.25 per cent. 

Data from a Brazilian clinical trial pegged CoronaVac's effectiveness at 50.4 per cent. 

Sinovac has defended the efficacy of its vaccine, saying that the two-dose regime has to be administered within a long time frame — about three weeks apart. 

The side effects of the CoronaVac are reportedly mild. A study conducted on volunteers in Jiangsu, China from April 2020 to May 2020 found that most participants reported mild side effects, with the most common being pain at the injection site. 

One participant in the study developed hives after the first dose. The researchers opined that it could be related to the vaccine. 

However, this participant did not develop a similar reaction after the second dose. 

What is an mRNA vaccine? 

Covid-19 mRNA vaccines (or, messenger RNA vaccines) use material that is genetically coded to instruct our cells to produce the spike protein unique to SARS-CoV-2. 

Once the vaccine is injected, our muscle cells produce the protein, triggering our immune system to launch an attack. 

If we get infected with SARS-CoV-2 in future, our body will remember how to fight the virus. 

With an mRNA vaccine, the immune system is able to have a "preview" of what the Covid-19 virus would look like, without actually getting the disease. 

Continuing the same analogy from above: 

Let's say you don't have the time to go out and find a gangster to train your dog (a.k.a your immune system). 

You decide to train your dog on your own. So, you get hold of the particular brand of hair wax that these gangsters use, and learn how to style your hair in the same way. 

You then (carefully) train your dog to attack you, and in the process, learn to attack people with spiky hair — all without bringing any gangster into your house. 

Hopefully the dog will attack the next gangster who visits your house. 

Pfizer & Moderna: High efficacy 

One advantage of mRNA vaccines is that they can be produced in less time compared to the more traditional vector vaccines. 

However, mRNA vaccines are notoriously unstable. 

They have to be kept at super-cool temperatures (Moderna's vaccine needs to be stored at -20°C and Pfizer's vaccine at -70°C) and once in the body, they can be easily broken down by the immune system before they reach their target. 

If you're interested, here's a video by Moderna on how mRNA technology works. 

Of course, the more important question is: Are mRNA vaccines effective? 

The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine has an efficacy rate of 95 per cent. It has been approved for individuals aged 16 and above. 

An Israeli study has also found that the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine can reach efficacy levels of 85 per cent just after one dose. 

The Moderna vaccine, on the other hand, is 94 per cent. It has been approved for use in individuals age 18 and above. 

A few severe reactions experienced 

At least three people in Singapore have experienced anaphylaxis (a severe allergic reaction) after receiving the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. 

The three individuals — all in their 20s and 30s — experienced multiple symptoms including rash, breathlessness, lip swelling, throat tightness and giddiness. 

They were tended to quickly and all three recovered. 

Mild symptoms like injection site pain and swelling, fever, headache, fatigue, body aches, giddiness, nausea have also been reported. 

Generally, these are common symptoms with all vaccines (not just Covid-19 vaccines) and they reflect the body's immune system responding to the vaccine dose. 

Are the vaccines safe to use? 

Vaccines typically take eight to 10 years to go through development and rigorous testing before they reach the market. 

The entire development and testing process for Covid-19 vaccines has been compressed to under a year because we are now dealing with a global health emergency. 

There is not much info on these vaccines' effect on vulnerable sub-groups like pregnant women, and young children, and those with compromised immune systems (for instance, those living with HIV). 

It is also impossible to tell whether these vaccines will have long-term effects, since none of them are over a year old. 

But for many countries now, the potential benefits outweigh the possible risks because there is an urgent need for mass vaccination.

[Vidz]

Yesssssssss...... That is a game-changer!!

We must quick approve it for our frontliners....

 

 

 

 

K9 units

[Jamesc]

Killed virus?

What if not killed properly or some only half dead.

[Ender]

So it seems it was china‘s side who send the vaccine to us without our approval, and we can't say no but to accept them. China is confident that Singapore will approve them eventually, (for diplomacy?) , since they force it down our throat. 

https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3123163/sinovacs-early-shipment-singapore-unusual-or-just-part

Quote

 

Beijing sent its coronavirus vaccine to the city state before Singapore’s health authorities approved the jab

Some health experts questioned China’s intent behind the move, suggesting that it might be ‘unhappy’ if Singapore is slow in approving the vaccine

 

When the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccines arrived in Singapore in December, the moment was cheered by residents and politicians alike. Transport Minister Ong Ye Kung received the shipment with much fanfare and oversaw its delivery to a cold-chain warehouse, while Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong called the arrival of the vaccines a “welcome present that we’ve all been looking forward to”.

It was a similar story two months later, when the city state received its first batch of Moderna shots. Lee said he was “pleased” with the delivery, and reporters were forwarded a series of photographs showing the bulky vaccine boxes with a Singapore Airlines plane in the background.

Yet there was no such fanfare (🤣🤣🤣)to greet the arrival of the China-made Sinovac shots on Tuesday evening. Rather, the seemingly played-down event was only made known a day later by the Chinese embassy.

[Jamesc]

People give things must graciously accept.

And we must share our good fortune with those around us.

Give one dose to my MIL and pass the rest to our neighbors to the north and to the south of us.

[Meanmachine]

On 25 February, 2021 at 8:44 AM, Philipkee said:

I think approval is a given since it's already here.  It would be amazing if it's not approved after importation. 

But I would be supportive of sinovac vaccination cos I heard it is safer.  Less effective, maybe, but unless you plan on travelling soon, I think its not a big issue.  I read it's about 50% effective which is the same effectiveness of the flu vaccine.

Disclaimer  I already had the pfizer jabs cos HCW had to go first. 

    Heard that if your 1st dosage is Pfizer the following will also be Pfizer, there won't be a mixture of both vaccine for the same guy

[Jellandross]

2 hours ago, Jamesc said:

People give things must graciously accept.

And we must share our good fortune with those around us.

Give one dose to my MIL and pass the rest to our neighbors to the north and to the south of us.

First sinovac jab goes to son of punggol

 

[Jellandross]

This sentence has very deep meaning... AMDK engrish is not simple indeed LOL

Singapore is the only wealthy country considering the use of Sinovac’s vaccine, which has been found to have an efficacy rate ranging from about 50% to 90% in studies.

https://www.reuters.com/article/healthcoronavirus-singapore/singapores-first-chinese-covid-19-vaccines-arrive-ahead-of-approval-idUSL4N2KN1SE

 

[Didu]

4 hours ago, Ender said:

So it seems it was china‘s side who send the vaccine to us without our approval, and we can't say no but to accept them. China is confident that Singapore will approve them eventually, (for diplomacy?) , since they force it down our throat. 

https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3123163/sinovacs-early-shipment-singapore-unusual-or-just-part

When the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccines arrived in Singapore in December, the moment was cheered by residents and politicians alike. Transport Minister Ong Ye Kung received the shipment with much fanfare and oversaw its delivery to a cold-chain warehouse, while Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong called the arrival of the vaccines a “welcome present that we’ve all been looking forward to”.

It was a similar story two months later, when the city state received its first batch of Moderna shots. Lee said he was “pleased” with the delivery, and reporters were forwarded a series of photographs showing the bulky vaccine boxes with a Singapore Airlines plane in the background.

Yet there was no such fanfare (🤣🤣🤣)to greet the arrival of the China-made Sinovac shots on Tuesday evening. Rather, the seemingly played-down event was only made known a day later by the Chinese embassy.

"别敬酒不喝喝罰酒!" 

[Kb27]

Possible scenarios:

Vaccine diplomacy - HSA may be pressured to approve SinoVac.

People are not allowed to choose vaccine brand.

But if they find out (or rumoured) that certain place and time, get SinoVac which they heard is 50% vs the 90% efficacy ones, they may reject or not turn up for their appt.

Gahmen can't allow this, if they want everyone to be vaccinated.

So gahmen have to mix and match, some time this, some time that. 

Gonna be messy. 

[Kopites]

33 minutes ago, Kb27 said:

Possible scenarios:

Vaccine diplomacy - HSA may be pressured to approve SinoVac.

People are not allowed to choose vaccine brand.

But if they find out (or rumoured) that certain place and time, get SinoVac which they heard is 50% vs the 90% efficacy ones, they may reject or not turn up for their appt.

Gahmen can't allow this, if they want everyone to be vaccinated.

So gahmen have to mix and match, some time this, some time that. 

Gonna be messy. 

The point of injection I am sure recipient would know. Can opt to walk off.

[Count-Bracula]

On 2/25/2021 at 8:47 AM, Philipkee said:

This, I have mixed feelings. But if I had to vote and not merely tcss here, I will agree with you.  At least give the member of public a choice. 

And if the choice selected has run out, then let the chips fall where they may.  Maybe the member of public will then cannot get vaccinated with all the infection risk that comes with it.  Of cos the member of public can change his mind, but that's his choice.

 

They will very likely tell you it is FOC, cannot choose.

[Vinceng]

On 2/25/2021 at 9:16 AM, Beregond said:

My dad will  be laughing.  He only  want china vaccine. 😑

 But he got alot of health issue. I dun know if he can tahan to even take any....

Since corona virus started in China, the Chinese should be the expert in the vaccine

[Vinceng]

Public confidence will be raised if the press wayang some Ministers to take the Sinovac vaccine and air on TV