Singapore will make decisions regarding the approval of Covid-19 vaccines on the basis of science and healthcare needs, and will not be pressured when it comes to decisions on such matters, Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan told Parliament yesterday.

"We cannot be bought, we cannot be bullied, we cannot be intimidated into either approving or disapproving any vaccine," he said. "There will be pressure on us, there will be push and pulls, but we must conduct this just like another example of foreign policy, in a principled manner."

During the debate on the Foreign Ministry's budget, Workers' Party chairman Sylvia Lim (Aljunied GRC) said distribution patterns of Covid-19 vaccines around the world reflected a certain power play along traditional alliances.

Dr Balakrishnan said Singapore will be an important reference customer when it comes to vaccines, precisely because the world knows that the country bases its decisions on science and healthcare needs, as opposed to other factors.

Ms Lim had also asked if countries joining the Covid-19 Vaccine Global Access (Covax) Facility face any restrictions on reaching bilateral arrangements for Covid-19 vaccine purchases, and whether such bilateral arrangements will pose an obstacle to the success of the Covax programme, which aims to procure, equitably allocate and deliver two billion doses of Covid-19 vaccines by the end of this year.

Dr Balakrishnan explained that under Covax's global risk-sharing mechanism, countries with more resources, including Singapore, would make advance market commitments for vaccines. This would incentivise pharmaceutical firms to develop vaccines in a timely manner, despite significant business risk.

"If there wasn't such a facility... we wouldn't be in this happy situation," he said, referring to how vaccine candidates that Singapore and other countries had made advance purchase agreements for have now been approved and rolled out in various countries.

While putting money into the collective pot entitles Singapore to its fair share of Covid-19 vaccines on the basis of full market price, a "significant amount" will be committed to help support less well-off countries, Dr Balakrishnan said.

This prevents a situation where only countries which can afford vaccines have access to them.

The minister also clarified that Singapore's US$5 million (S$6.7 million) contribution to the Advance Market Commitment under the Covax Facility, which ensures access to vaccines for developing countries, is not specifically earmarked for Asean. Singapore has a separate Covid-19 Asean Response Fund, which helps member states get medical supplies and equipment needed to combat the virus.

It has also been giving test kits, protective equipment and other items to countries and non-governmental organisations in the region.

"We have not beat our drums, but that good work has been done and it has been appreciated by our neighbours," said the minister.