As some Singaporeans ate tang yuan to mark the Winter Solstice yesterday (21 Dec), workers at Changi Airport were busy moving large batches of a prized item — the Covid-19 vaccine.
Ahead of plans to vaccinate all locals and long-term residents, the arrival was a momentous occasion.
But since the plans aren’t concrete yet, the shipment will remain in safe storage until the authorities are ready to roll them out.
In a Facebook post on Monday (21 Dec), the Ministry of Health (MOH) shared details of the vaccine shipment.
Its arrival at 8pm heralded a new beginning, and concluded months of hard work trying to procure a vaccine deemed safe and effective.
Much like how you check that your chilli sauce has been delivered with your order, officials will have to thoroughly inspect the shipment.
This is to ensure that everything is in good condition, with the cold chain running smoothly.
Once inspections are complete, officials will transport them to a special, ultra-cold storage facility with -80°C temperatures.
There, they’ll stay until authorities kickstart the vaccination exercise. Since -80°C is super cold, the Covid-19 vaccines will require thawing before use.
After that, they may last up to 5 days in a 2°C to 8°C temperature.
As this is only the first shipment, we can expect more to come in the near future, with enough to vaccinate all Singapore citizens and local residents.
MOH predicts that this nationwide coverage can be completed by end-2021, if shipments continue to reach here without any major disruptions.
Frontline workers like healthcare staff will get vaccinated first, due to their higher risk of exposure to Covid-19 at work. The rest of the nation will then get our turns accordingly.
By the end of next year, there’ll hopefully be enough for all Singaporeans and long-term residents to receive our free vaccinations.
Like many forms of medication, the vaccine may cause some side effects which might hinder people from taking them.
But as long as they have no detrimental impacts, the authorities encourage everyone eligible to get vaccinated.
Though not a be-all and end-all to the pandemic, this development is an encouraging one after we’ve endured a tumultuous year. Here’s to hoping that 2021 will be much better.
Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at hello@mustsharenews.com.
Featured image adapted from Facebook and Facebook.
A record of more than 553,000 travellers crossed both checkpoints on 13 Dec.
There has been no year-end Covid-19 wave, as had been expected.
The beef was imported without a veterinary health certificate and halal certification.
One fan started queueing as early as 7am.
The company made the change after parents said they wanted to make sure their gifts…
An incredible twist of fortune for the police -- and a stroke of bad luck…