The Ministry of Health issued a statement on Jun. 3, 2024, refuting calls for the "temporary suspension" of Covid-19 vaccines in Singapore and slamming the "several groups" behind the calls as "spreading misinformation".

MOH's statement was in response to the People's Power Party's (PPP) statement on May 30.

MOH refutes claims

MOH's statement systematically refuted 11 quotes from "experts" cited in PPP's statement.

MOH refuted claims that widespread vaccination led to the evolution of some virus strains and that the vaccine negatively impacted one's immune system.

MOH emphasised that there is a "very large" body of scientific evidence that "overwhelmingly" shows the protection from Covid-19 vaccines outweighs the side effects.

"Yet, several groups continue to spread misinformation, either by quoting scientific literature out of context or sharing materials from non-credible sources who cannot be held accountable, to cast doubts on the safety and effectiveness of Covid-19 vaccines."

The ministry added that, due to PPP's consolidation of these reports, MOH has the opportunity to "rebut them at one go".

MOH also noted that the list of scientific articles cited by PPP was mostly from the same group of authors, including some who have been reported to be promoting messages against Covid-19 vaccination.

Positive impact of vaccines

"In a pandemic of this nature, excess deaths are inevitable," MOH stated.

It went on to explain that the main reason Singapore recorded one of the lowest excess death rates in the world during the pandemic was that the majority of Singaporeans were vaccinated.

"During our previous JN.1 wave, the incidence rate of Covid-19 hospitalisations and ICU admissions among seniors aged 60 years and above who were not vaccinated was almost twice that of those who kept their vaccination updated."

MOH added that vaccination and boosting mitigate the risk of developing long-term conditions after contracting Covid-19.

Most side effects were "mild"

While MOH acknowledges that "there are side effects to any vaccination", it stressed that Singapore has been "transparent" in reporting the incidence of side effects of the Covid-19 vaccine.

"Until July 2023 when the safety profiles of the vaccines have been reviewed to be consistent with no new safety signals, we reported this on a regular basis, which showed that most side effects were mild, and that the reporting rates of severe side effects remained rare at 7 per 100,000 doses (0.007 per cent)."

MOH also addressed claims made by some of the papers that Covid-19 vaccines increase the risk of myocarditis and pericarditis.

MOH noted that while they are recognised side effects of the vaccines, they remain rare. The incidence rate is reported as 0.0004 per cent for the bivalent vaccines and 0.001 per cent for the original vaccines as of September 2023.

“It is important to know that the risk of myocarditis/pericarditis occurring is, in fact, higher after Covid-19 infection, as compared to after receiving the vaccine,” MOH said.

Considering this, the benefit of vaccination "continues to outweigh" the risk for all ages.

On the other hand, the long-term effects of Covid-19 without vaccination can be "much worse", including heart, respiratory, and other complications post-infection.

MOH explained that is why international and national health authorities continue to recommend Covid-19 vaccination, and that MOH’s recommendations on Covid-19 vaccination are evidence-based.

"We have been and will continue to monitor the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines and adjust our recommendations accordingly," said MOH.

MOH concluded its statement by urging the public to verify information found on the internet.

Top image via Khoo Teck Puat Hospital/Facebook