Review of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine for Children Aged Five and Under

1 Mr Yip Hon Weng asked the Minister for Health (a) whether the Ministry is exploring the authorisation of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children aged under five; and (b) with some countries adopting different stands towards vaccination of young children against COVID-19, how does the Ministry decide which is the most suitable strategy for our country.

The Senior Minister of State for Health (Dr Janil Puthucheary) (for the Minister for Health): Sir, the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine is currently approved for use in individuals aged above five. The use of vaccine for younger children is still being studied in clinical trials.

MOH, in consultation with the Expert Committee on COVID-19 Vaccination, the EC19V, continues to examine different vaccine strategies, based on the risk-benefit assessment to the relevant subpopulation, in the context of the evolving COVID-19 situation.

Mr Speaker: Mr Yip Hon Weng.

Mr Yip Hon Weng (Yio Chu Kang): Thank you, Mr Speaker. I thank the Senior Minister of State for his reply. What is the infection rate of children under five years old in Singapore? There is a new study that suggests that the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is less effective for children. Is the Ministry looking into other vaccines like the one by Johnson & Johnson or non-mRNA vaccines like the ones by Sinovac or Novavax, for approval for use in children below five? What more should parents of children below five years old do to prevent them from getting COVID-19, since there is currently no vaccination?

Dr Janil Puthucheary: Sir, the Member asked three questions. For the first, the specific data is a slightly different issue from the Parliamentary Question (PQ) he had filed. I suggest he file a PQ, potentially a written PQ, for that data. We will get it to him.

For his second question about other vaccines, we are studying all clinical data that is being produced for all the therapeutic interventions for COVID-19. We will take that data, we will take the recommendations from our professionals and experts, and we will assess the various products as they become available for licensing here in Singapore.

In terms of what parents can do, hygiene continues to be important. Making sure that we stay at home if we are feeling unwell, engage with the testing procedures, the various protocols that we have explained for community protocols – Protocols 1, 2 and 3. These are not just for ourselves. They are for our family, our loved ones and society at large. And if we can all play our part in helping, then, the youngest, most vulnerable and all vulnerable members of our society will be better protected.

Mr Speaker: Leader of the Opposition.

Mr Pritam Singh (Aljunied): Thank you, Mr Speaker. Just a quick question for the Senior Minister of State. This is with regard to the study that was being referred to by hon Member Mr Yip Hon Weng. Has that changed the consideration of the Expert Committee and the Ministry as to the effectiveness of vaccination amongst children, especially those from five to 12? How is the Ministry responding to that study? Is the Ministry undertaking its own independent study in Singapore as to the effectiveness of the vaccine for children above the age of 12?

Dr Janil Puthucheary: Sir, I thank the Member for the questions. The issue is not whether a vaccine is or is not effective. There is a matter of timing of those and the circumstances. So, the matter continues to be studied by various people around the world, as well as our experts here.

For children in the age groups that the Member mentioned, where the vaccines are already being rolled out, indeed, we continue through our various public health processes, to monitor and measure the effectiveness of the vaccination process.