Moderna Is 2nd Covid-19 Vaccine Approved In Singapore
Since the arrival of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine last Dec, some 250,000 individuals have already been inoculated as of Tuesday (16 Feb).
S’pore Receives 1st Covid-19 Vaccine Shipment, Will Be Stored Safely Until Ready For Use
On Wednesday (17 Feb), the 2nd approved Covid-19 vaccine – from Moderna – reportedly arrived in Singapore, ahead of schedule.
Moderna vaccine shipment arrives 2 weeks early
According to The Straits Times (ST), the first shipment of Moderna vaccines arrived from Brussels, Belgium, via a Singapore Airlines flight.
Though the Ministry of Health (MOH) had previously stated that the first batch would reach our shores around Mar, it seems like they have arrived ahead of schedule by a full 2 weeks.
The vaccine is the second of its kind to receive approval from the Health Sciences Authority (HSA).
MOH says the vaccine will be gradually made available to individuals aged 18 and above as more batches arrive.
Requires 2 doses for effectiveness
Moderna states that the vaccine has an efficacy rate of 94.1%, close to that of the one by Pfizer-BioNTech, at 95%.
This means that it has roughly a 94% chance of preventing symptomatic Covid-19 infections.
Like its Pfizer-BioNTech counterpart, the Moderna vaccines also use RNA to convey ‘instructions’ to our immune systems, teaching them to recognise the coronavirus and react accordingly.
Both vaccines also require 2 doses to reach full effectiveness.
However, the period between the doses differ, with Moderna requiring 28 days, while Pfizer-BioNTech requires only 21 days.
Hope vaccines will be more readily available
Though the Government has yet to reveal when the vaccine will be available, we hope we’ll find out soon, so more people can receive their jabs.
Subsequently, this can help strengthen our defenses as we continue our fight against Covid-19.
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Featured image adapted from Facebook.Â
