Efficacy of COVID-19 Vaccines and Protocol for Treatment of Children Under Age of 12

54 Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim asked the Minister for Health (a) what is the current percentage of COVID-19 patients who have been treated with oral antiviral drugs; and (b) whether the Ministry will consider approving the use of such drugs for the treatment of toddlers or young children who are infected with COVID-19 and are unvaccinated.

55 Mr Shawn Huang Wei Zhong asked the Minister for Health (a) whether he can provide an update on the longitudinal studies thus far on effects of the mRNA COVID-19 vaccinations; and (b) whether there are any new observations on the efficacy of vaccinations after subsequent boosters.

56 Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim asked the Minister for Health what steps can be done to accurately detect, diagnose and treat COVID-19 among symptomatic children under the age of 12 years in an efficient and expeditious manner, such as making PCR test and hospitalisation mandatory, especially for children who are vulnerable, unvaccinated or under the age of five years.

57 Dr Shahira Abdullah asked the Minister for Health whether the Government will consider changing the current protocol to one advising all children under 12 years old who are infected by COVID-19 to be seen by a doctor even if they feel well.

Mr Ong Ye Kung: These questions have been addressed by Questions 7 to 15 for Oral Answer on the Order Paper for 1 August 2022.