Get vaccine, even if there are few local cases: Gan Kim Yong

Singaporeans should protect themselves from Covid-19 by getting vaccinated, even if the number of community cases is low, as the next outbreak could be "just one infection away", said Health Minister Gan Kim Yong yesterday.

Urging citizens not to be complacent that the virus is not widely circulating and to take the vaccine when it becomes available to them, he said: "We must always be prepared that there will be new waves of infection."

Having a population that is extensively inoculated would help the country guard against new waves of infections, Mr Gan said.

"(It will also) allow us to continue to progress towards returning to normalcy in our community and our economy," he said.

At the same time, it would pave the way for Singapore to reopen its travel routes.

"International travel has almost ground to a halt because of... border controls and with vaccination, it will allow many of these travel routes to be reconnected, and to allow Singapore to be reconnected back to the rest of the world," noted Mr Gan, who co-chairs the multi-ministry task force tackling Covid-19.

He was speaking to reporters at the National Centre for Infectious Diseases, where Singapore's Covid-19 vaccination exercise kicked off, with the first Pfizer-BioNTech jabs administered to healthcare workers there. Other healthcare workers will be vaccinated in the coming weeks.

Asked about concerns over the safety of the vaccine, Mr Gan said it has met the requirements of the World Health Organisation, the Health Sciences Authority and other regulatory agencies.

He acknowledged that the long-term effects of the vaccine remain unknown, given that the vaccine has been available only for a few months.

"We are continuing to observe and continuing to monitor the data that is emerging... there are precautions that are put in place, and the vaccines have met all the safety and efficacy requirements for it to be deployed," he added.

Any potential risk of receiving the vaccine also has to be weighed against the potential of a person getting Covid-19 and falling severely ill, he said, noting that an expert committee has recommended that all Singaporeans who are medically eligible should be vaccinated.

Asked if travel restrictions to countries like Malaysia could be relaxed for residents who have been vaccinated, Mr Gan said this depends on multiple factors beyond vaccination alone.

"It also depends on... safe management measures in the destination countries, and whether or not there (are) sufficient safeguards," he said, noting that Singapore has multiple lines of defence against the virus. This includes an aggressive testing strategy as well as extensive contact tracing procedures.

"Vaccination alone will not allow you to just simply open up and forget about all the other safe distancing measures," he said.

"(When) the whole of Singapore is vaccinated (and) you have a significant protection against infection, we'll be able to open up significantly after that."

Mr Gan added that members of the Cabinet, including Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and himself, will also get vaccinated.

The schedules for that are currently being worked out, with priority going to healthcare workers, he said. "When my turn comes, I will similarly be among the first to step forward."