The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) has granted approval for the use of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine in Singapore, with the first shipment expected to arrive in March.
In a statement on Wednesday (3 Feb), HSA noted that the vaccine demonstrated a high vaccine efficacy of 94 per cent.
“HSA’s review of the available clinical data found that the benefits of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine outweigh the known risks,” it stated.
Separately, the Ministry of Health (MOH) noted that the vaccine will be progressively rolled out for individuals aged 18 years and older.
Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine is the second vaccine to be granted interim authorisation under the Pandemic Special Access Route (PSAR), after the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.
In comparison, the Moderna vaccine requires two doses to be administered 28 days apart, while the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine’s two doses are taken 21 days apart.
The expert committee on COVID-19 vaccination had also reviewed the safety and efficacy data of the Moderna vaccine for different population segments in Singapore, as reported by The Straits Times.
Noting that the HSA has briefed on its full range of considerations in granting interim authorisation for use, the expert committee said it is satisfied with the vaccine’s safety and efficacy.
