Private healthcare providers set to offer Sinopharm vaccine

The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) has approved 11 applications for private hospitals and clinics to import China's Sinopharm vaccine under the Special Access Route (SAR).

This means that the risks of using such vaccines are "fully borne by the doctor and vaccine recipient", an HSA spokesman said yesterday.

The Straits Times reported on Wednesday that several healthcare firms, including Raffles Medical Group and IHH Healthcare - the largest private healthcare provider here - have taken steps to secure doses of the vaccine.

The plan is to administer the first jabs next month.

This will make the Chinese vaccine the fourth one to be used in Singapore, after the Pfizer-BioNTech/Comirnaty and Moderna vaccines under the national vaccination programme, as well as the Sinovac vaccine, which was also brought in under the SAR.

The SAR allows private healthcare providers to bring in Covid-19 vaccines that are on the World Health Organisation's Emergency Use Listing.

However, these providers must abide by certain conditions. For instance, each pro-vider can bring in only a three-month supply, capped at 5,000 doses per month.

They must also report any serious adverse reactions to the HSA within 15 days.

Unlike vaccines administered under the Pandemic Special Access Route framework - such as the Pfizer-BioNTech/ Comirnaty and Moderna jabs - vaccines under the SAR are not subsidised by the Government.

They are also not covered under the Vaccine Injury Financial Assistance Programme, which supports people who suffer adverse effects from their Covid-19 jabs.

As at Thursday, Singapore had vaccinated more than 4.2 million people against the coronavirus. Of these, over 3.2 million had completed the full vaccination regimen.

11 Number of applications the Health Sciences Authority has approved for private hospitals and clinics to import China's Sinopharm vaccine under the Special Access Route.