Selasa, 18 Mei 2021
Opening Covid-19 vaccination for more Singapore residents: Health Minister Ong Ye Kung - The Straits Times
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2021-05-18 12:02:04Z
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Children aged 12 to 15 to receive Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in Singapore - CNA
SINGAPORE: The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine has been authorised by the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) to be used for children between 12 and 15 years old, said Health Minister Ong Ye Kung on Tuesday (May 18).
From Wednesday, those aged 40 to 44 years will also be invited to register for their vaccinations, Mr Ong added.
VACCINATION FOR THOSE AGED 12 TO 15 YEARS
The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine was previously given only to those aged 16 years and above. It was granted interim authorisation by the HSA under the Pandemic Special Access Route in December last year. At that time, the data for children aged below 16 years was not yet available.
Speaking at a multi-ministry task force press conference, Mr Ong said on Tuesday that the expert committee on COVID-19 vaccination has also "weighed in with their endorsement" to use the vaccine for children aged 12 to 15 years.
"Both teams have assessed that the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine demonstrated high efficacy and safety for this age group of 12 to 15 years old, which is consistent with what we have observed for the adult population," he added.
The Ministry of Health (MOH) will work with the Ministry of Education (MOE) on the vaccination programme for this school-going age group and provide further updates in due course, said the Health Ministry in a separate press release.
READ: US authorises Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children 12 to 15 years old
This is the first COVID-19 vaccine authorised for use in Singapore for this age group.
In its assessment, the expert committee on COVID-19 vaccination considered the safety, efficacy and tolerability of the vaccine, and the study design of clinical trials for this age group, MOH added.
“The data showed that the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine demonstrated high efficacy consistent with that observed in the adult population,” MOH added.
“Its safety profile is also consistent with the known safety profile in the adult population and the standards set for other registered vaccines used in the immunisation against other diseases."
This follows MOE’s announcement on Sunday that all schools will move to home-based learning from Wednesday to the end of the term on May 28, after several primary school students tested positive for COVID-19. Many of the cases are linked to tuition centres.
In a separate press release on Tuesday, HSA said that Pfizer and BioNTech submitted an application to extend the use of the vaccine to those aged 12 to 15 years old.
HSA's review of the clinical data for this "subgroup" found that the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine “induced a robust immune response” and demonstrated "high vaccine efficacy of 100 per cent".
"This vaccine efficacy was based on the ongoing Phase 3 clinical trial, which enrolled (more than) 2,000 participants aged 12 to 15 years,” HSA said.
"Based on the safety data available from a median follow-up duration of two months after vaccination, the overall safety profile of the vaccine in adolescents was comparable to that observed in adults."
The side effects noted in the trial included pain at the injection site, fatigue, headache, chills and fever, said HSA, adding that the side effects resolved on their own within a few days.
Pfizer and BioNTech will follow up on the safety and efficacy of the vaccine in the clinical study for up to two years to determine its full safety profile for this age group, said HSA. The authority will also continue to closely monitor the safety of the vaccine.
READ: Singapore to extend interval of COVID-19 vaccine doses to between 6 and 8 weeks
B1617 VARIANT
Responding to a question about how the B1617 variant appears to affect children more, MOH’s director of medical services Kenneth Mak noted that Singapore is seeing more infections in children this year compared to last year.
“It could very well be associated with viral variants of concern being more transmissible with higher viral loads. As a result of just that physical property - of these viral variants having a higher viral load - kids are also getting more infected,” he said.
“At this point in time, it isn’t clear whether infections in children lead to a more severe cause of disease associated with these viral variants of concern,” added Associate Professor Mak.
He said the children who have been infected so far are "relatively well" and are either "mildly symptomatic or asymptomatic".
"At this time we have not made any decisions yet concerning including children within our list of prioritised groups of people for vaccinations, but we will continue to watch this space, look at the evolving evidence, look at the community situation and then make decisions later on as to whether or not we need to change our plans concerning prioritisation," said Assoc Prof Mak.
VACCINATIONS FOR THOSE AGED 40 TO 44 YEARS
From Wednesday, individuals aged 40 to 44 years will also be invited to register for their vaccinations, Mr Ong announced.
“Our supply of vaccines has been steadily coming in, but remains limited given high global demand. We will continue to roll out our vaccination programme, but now in five-year age bands, starting with those aged 40 to 44 years, and progressively moving to younger age bands,” said MOH.
Individuals can register online via vaccine.gov.sg, and they will receive an acknowledgement message via SMS after registration.
READ: Masks with better filtration capability recommended as new COVID-19 variants spread
A separate SMS with a personalised booking link to book a vaccination appointment will then be progressively sent to invite eligible individuals on a first-come-first-served basis, depending on when they registered.
They can expect to receive this booking message within one to two weeks from registration, with slots available until mid-June, the Health Ministry said.
Those who have previously registered their interest will not need to register again, and more vaccination slots will be made available as more supplies arrive, said MOH.
“We remain on track with our COVID-19 vaccination programme. If our supplies arrive as scheduled, we expect to be able to complete the vaccination programme by the end of the year," added the ministry.
"We strongly encourage everyone who is medically eligible to register their interest and get vaccinated when they are offered."
BOOKMARK THIS: Our comprehensive coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic and its developments
Download our app or subscribe to our Telegram channel for the latest updates on the coronavirus outbreak: https://cna.asia/telegram
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMicWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vbmV3cy9zaW5nYXBvcmUvY292aWQtMTktcGZpemVyLWJpb250ZWNoLXZhY2NpbmUtY2hpbGRyZW4tc2luZ2Fwb3JlLTEyLTE1LTE0ODMzMDc00gEA?oc=5
2021-05-18 10:32:45Z
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Taiwan reports 240 new Covid-19 cases, in talks with US for vaccine doses - South China Morning Post
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- Taiwan reports 240 new Covid-19 cases, in talks with US for vaccine doses South China Morning Post
- Taiwan reports 240 new COVID-19 cases, mobilises diplomats to seek out vaccines CNA
- Taiwan to close all schools amid rise in Covid-19 cases, 2 deaths reported The Straits Times
- Taiwan reports 240 new Covid-19 cases, in talks with US for share of donated vaccine doses Yahoo Singapore News
- Taiwan reassures on economy as stocks fall amid COVID-19 spike CNA
- View Full coverage on Google News
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMidmh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnNjbXAuY29tL25ld3MvY2hpbmEvZGlwbG9tYWN5L2FydGljbGUvMzEzMzg2OS90YWl3YW4tdGFsa3MtdXMtc2hhcmUtam9lLWJpZGVucy1wbGVkZ2VkLTgwLW1pbGxpb24tY292aWQtMTnSAXZodHRwczovL2FtcC5zY21wLmNvbS9uZXdzL2NoaW5hL2RpcGxvbWFjeS9hcnRpY2xlLzMxMzM4NjkvdGFpd2FuLXRhbGtzLXVzLXNoYXJlLWpvZS1iaWRlbnMtcGxlZGdlZC04MC1taWxsaW9uLWNvdmlkLTE5?oc=5
2021-05-18 11:31:31Z
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Children aged 12 to 15 years to receive Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in Singapore - CNA
SINGAPORE: The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine has been authorised by the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) to be used for children between 12 and 15 years old, said Health Minister Ong Ye Kung on Tuesday (May 18).
From Wednesday, those aged 40 to 44 years will also be invited to register for their vaccinations, Mr Ong added.
VACCINATION FOR THOSE AGED 12 TO 15 YEARS
The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine was previously given only to those aged 16 years and above. It was granted interim authorisation by the HSA under the Pandemic Special Access Route in December last year. At that time, the data for children aged below 16 years was not yet available.
Speaking at a multi-ministry task force press conference, Mr Ong said on Tuesday that the expert committee on COVID-19 vaccination has also "weighed in with their endorsement" to use the vaccine for children aged 12 to 15 years.
"Both teams have assessed that the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine demonstrated high efficacy and safety for this age group of 12 to 15 years old, which is consistent with what we have observed for the adult population," he added.
The Ministry of Health (MOH) will work with the Ministry of Education (MOE) on the vaccination programme for this school-going age group and provide further updates in due course, said the Health Ministry in a separate press release.
READ: US authorises Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children 12 to 15 years old
This is the first COVID-19 vaccine authorised for use in Singapore for this age group.
In its assessment, the expert committee on COVID-19 vaccination considered the safety, efficacy and tolerability of the vaccine, and the study design of clinical trials for this age group, MOH added.
“The data showed that the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine demonstrated high efficacy consistent with that observed in the adult population,” MOH added.
“Its safety profile is also consistent with the known safety profile in the adult population and the standards set for other registered vaccines used in the immunisation against other diseases."
This follows MOE’s announcement on Sunday that all schools will move to home-based learning from Wednesday to the end of the term on May 28, after several primary school students tested positive for COVID-19. Many of the cases are linked to tuition centres.
In a separate press release on Tuesday, HSA said that Pfizer and BioNTech submitted an application to extend the use of the vaccine to those aged 12 to 15 years old.
HSA's review of the clinical data for this "subgroup" found that the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine “induced a robust immune response” and demonstrated "high vaccine efficacy of 100 per cent".
"This vaccine efficacy was based on the ongoing Phase 3 clinical trial, which enrolled (more than) 2,000 participants aged 12 to 15 years,” HSA said.
"Based on the safety data available from a median follow-up duration of two months after vaccination, the overall safety profile of the vaccine in adolescents was comparable to that observed in adults."
The side effects noted in the trial included pain at the injection site, fatigue, headache, chills and fever, said HSA, adding that the side effects resolved on their own within a few days.
Pfizer and BioNTech will follow up on the safety and efficacy of the vaccine in the clinical study for up to two years to determine its full safety profile for this age group, said HSA. The authority will also continue to closely monitor the safety of the vaccine.
READ: Singapore to extend interval of COVID-19 vaccine doses to between 6 and 8 weeks
B1617 VARIANT
Responding to a question about how the B1617 variant appears to affect children more, MOH’s director of medical services Kenneth Mak noted that Singapore is seeing more infections in children this year compared to last year.
“It could very well be associated with viral variants of concern being more transmissible with higher viral loads. As a result of just that physical property - of these viral variants having a higher viral load - kids are also getting more infected,” he said.
“At this point in time, it isn’t clear whether infections in children lead to a more severe cause of disease associated with these viral variants of concern,” added Associate Professor Mak.
He said the children who have been infected so far are "relatively well" and are either "mildly symptomatic or asymptomatic".
"At this time we have not made any decisions yet concerning including children within our list of prioritised groups of people for vaccinations, but we will continue to watch this space, look at the evolving evidence, look at the community situation and then make decisions later on as to whether or not we need to change our plans concerning prioritisation," said Assoc Prof Mak.
VACCINATIONS FOR THOSE AGED 40 TO 44 YEARS
From Wednesday, individuals aged 40 to 44 years will also be invited to register for their vaccinations, Mr Ong announced.
“Our supply of vaccines has been steadily coming in, but remains limited given high global demand. We will continue to roll out our vaccination programme, but now in five-year age bands, starting with those aged 40 to 44 years, and progressively moving to younger age bands,” said MOH.
Individuals can register online via vaccine.gov.sg, and they will receive an acknowledgement message via SMS after registration.
READ: Masks with better filtration capability recommended as new COVID-19 variants spread
A separate SMS with a personalised booking link to book a vaccination appointment will then be progressively sent to invite eligible individuals on a first-come-first-served basis, depending on when they registered.
They can expect to receive this booking message within one to two weeks from registration, with slots available until mid-June, the Health Ministry said.
Those who have previously registered their interest will not need to register again, and more vaccination slots will be made available as more supplies arrive, said MOH.
“We remain on track with our COVID-19 vaccination programme. If our supplies arrive as scheduled, we expect to be able to complete the vaccination programme by the end of the year," added the ministry.
"We strongly encourage everyone who is medically eligible to register their interest and get vaccinated when they are offered."
BOOKMARK THIS: Our comprehensive coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic and its developments
Download our app or subscribe to our Telegram channel for the latest updates on the coronavirus outbreak: https://cna.asia/telegram
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMicWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vbmV3cy9zaW5nYXBvcmUvY292aWQtMTktcGZpemVyLWJpb250ZWNoLXZhY2NpbmUtY2hpbGRyZW4tc2luZ2Fwb3JlLTEyLTE1LTE0ODMzMDc00gEA?oc=5
2021-05-18 10:08:48Z
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China skyscraper wobbles, spreading panic in downtown Shenzhen - CNA
BEIJING: One of China's tallest skyscrapers was evacuated on Tuesday (May 18) after it began to shake, sending panicked shoppers scampering to safety in the southern city of Shenzhen.
The near 300m high SEG Plaza inexplicably began to shake at around 1pm, prompting an evacuation of people inside while pedestrians looked on open-mouthed from the streets outside.
The building was sealed shut as of 2.40pm, according to local media reports.
Completed in 2000, the tower is home to a major electronics market as well as various offices in the downtown of one of China's fastest-growing cities.
Emergency management officials are investigating what caused the tower in Shenzhen's Futian district to wobble, according to a post on the Twitter-like Weibo platform.
"After checking and analysing the data of various earthquake monitoring stations across the city, there was no earthquake in Shenzhen today," the statement said.
"The cause of the shaking is being verified by various departments."
It was not immediately clear how authorities will handle a dangerous building of its scale in the heart of a city of over 12 million people.
Bystander videos published by local media on Weibo showed the skyscraper shaking on its foundations as hundreds of terrified pedestrians ran away outside.
"SEG has been completely evacuated," wrote one Weibo user in a caption to a video of hundreds of people milling about on a wide shopping street near the tower.
The tower is named after the semiconductor and electronics manufacturer Shenzhen Electronics Group, whose offices are based in the building.
It is the 18th tallest tower in Shenzhen, according to the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat skyscraper database.
Chinese authorities last year banned the construction of skyscrapers taller than 500m, adding to height restrictions already enforced in some cities such as Beijing.
The new guidelines for architects, urban planners and developers aimed to "highlight Chinese characteristics" and also banned tacky "copycat" buildings modelled after world landmarks.
Five of the world's tallest skyscrapers are located in China, including the world's second-tallest building, the Shanghai Tower, which stands at 632m.
Shenzhen is a sprawling metropolis in southern China, close to Hong Kong, which has a booming homegrown tech manufacturing scene.
Many Chinese tech giants, including Tencent and Huawei, have chosen the city to host their headquarters. It is home to the world's fourth-tallest skyscraper, the 599m Ping An Finance Centre.
Building collapses are not rare in China, where lax building standards and breakneck urbanisation lead to constructions being thrown up in haste.
Last May, a five-storey quarantine hotel in the south-eastern city of Quanzhou collapsed due to shoddy construction, killing 29.
The devastating 2008 Sichuan earthquake caused over 69,000 deaths. The disaster ignited a storm of public controversy over poorly constructed school buildings - dubbed 'tofu dregs' - which collapsed and killed thousands of students.
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2021-05-18 09:56:15Z
CBMibWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vbmV3cy9hc2lhL2NoaW5hLXNreXNjcmFwZXItc2VnLXBsYXphLXdvYmJsZXMtcGFuaWMtZG93bnRvd24tc2hlbnpoZW4tMTQ4MzMxNjTSAQA
Hong Kong suspends operations at representative office in Taiwan as tensions rise - CNA
HONG KONG: Hong Kong's government suspended operations at its representative office in Taiwan on Tuesday (May 18), in a sign of escalating diplomatic tension between the global financial hub and the democratically-ruled island that Beijing claims.
Tension between Hong Kong's Beijing-backed government and Taiwan have risen since protests erupted in Hong Kong in 2019 and China responded by imposing a sweeping national security law in the city that prompted many activists to leave, some for Taiwan.
A Hong Kong government representative did not provide an explanation for the decision to halt operations at the Hong Kong Economic, Trade and Cultural Office, adding only that the decision was not related to the recent rise in coronavirus cases in Taiwan.
"The suspension is not related to the pandemic situation in Taiwan. We do not have anything further to add," the representative said in a statement.
READ: Taiwan mobilises diplomats to seek out COVID-19 shots
Taiwan's government said that while it respected the decision, it also regretted it.
"We express deep regret at today's unilateral decision by the Hong Kong government," Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council said in a statement.
Taiwan has criticised the security law that Beijing imposed in Hong Kong and opened an office in Taipei to help people who may want to leave.
In August last year, China intercepted a boat carrying 12 people from Hong Kong, who had all faced charges related to the anti-government protests, and were apparently looking to escape to Taiwan.
Last year, Taiwan officials in Hong Kong were told their visas would not be renewed unless they signed a document supporting Beijing's claim to Taiwan under its "one China" policy, a person with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters.
READ: Hong Kong leader says freezing media tycoon Jimmy Lai's assets will hopefully reinforce financial hub status
Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council said this month there were only eight Taiwanese staff members left at its de facto consulate in Hong Kong, and that all their visas were due to expire this year.
Hong Kong's Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau said the suspension in operations meant requests for assistance from Hong Kong people in Taiwan would be handled through hotlines and via a Hong Kong government website.
Beijing sees Taiwan as part of "one China" and has never renounced the use of force to bring the island under its control.
China has proposed that Taiwan be brought under Chinese rule under a similar "one country two systems" arrangement it offered to Hong Kong when it returned to Chinese rule in 1997.
All of Taiwan's main political parties have rejected the idea.
Hong Kong has long served as an important trade and investment conduit between Taiwan and China, which have no diplomatic relations.
The security law in Hong Kong punishes what China broadly defines as subversion, secession, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces with up to life in prison.
Critics of the law fear it will crush the wide-ranging freedoms promised when it returned to Chinese rule. Supporters say it has restored the stability that is essential for its economic success.
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2021-05-18 06:11:15Z
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Taiwan to close all schools amid rise in Covid-19 cases, 2 deaths reported - The Straits Times
TAIPEI (REUTERS, XINHUA) - Taiwan's government said on Tuesday (May 18) that all schools would close until May 28 as the island reported two new deaths in the latest wave of outbreak even as the rate of increase in cases slowed slightly.
Taiwan reported 240 new domestic Covid-19 cases on Tuesday, a drop from the 333 cases on Monday.
The island has reported almost 1,000 new domestic infections during the past week, leading to new curbs in the capital, Taipei, and shocking a population that had become accustomed to life carrying on almost normally, with the pandemic well under control.
Education Minister Pan Wen-chung told reporters that starting Wednesday, all schools across the island would be closed until May 28, with classes held online.
Speaking at the same news conference, Health Minister Chen Shih-chung announced 240 new domestic Covid-19 cases, down from the 333 reported on Monday.
He also announced two new deaths, bringing the total since the start of the pandemic to 14.
Mr Chen cautioned that the smaller increase in cases did not mean the virus had been brought under control.
“We don’t view this with optimism,” he added. However, Mr Chen said, most of the cases being reported were mild ones.
The government says those with mild infections or who are asymptomatic can recover at home under quarantine.
The domestic cases have been concentrated in northern Taiwan and are connected to an earlier outbreak among pilots and a hotel at Taipei’s main international airport, though the government is not sure of the exact chain of transmission. Taiwan has reported a total of 2,260 infections since the start of the pandemic.
One of the patients who died on Tuesday was a 86-year-old man with multiple chronic diseases, the first person to die of the disease since domestically transmitted cases of the disease began spiking in late April, local media reported.
He was among a cluster of infections in Far Eastern Memorial Hospital in New Taipei City, the hospital said, adding that two of its nurses had tested positive for Covid-19 during its second round of screenings.
The two nurses are now under quarantine in isolation wards. The hospital is scheduled to conduct its third round of screenings on Wednesday. The two new additional cases mean the hospital cluster now total 11 cases with one death.
Meanwhile, Taiwan is mobilising its diplomatic corps to secure a speedier delivery of Covid-19 vaccines – a quest that has become more urgent since a sudden rise in domestic cases on an island that has vaccinated less than 1 per cent of its population.
Taiwan, a major semiconductor manufacturing hub, has received only about 300,000 shots so far for its more than 23 million people, all AstraZeneca vaccines, and those are rapidly running out.
In comments published on Tuesday by Taiwan’s official Central News Agency, Taipei’s top official in Washington said she was in talks with the United States for a share of the Covid-19 vaccine doses President Joe Biden plans to send abroad.
“We are in negotiations and striving for it,” said Ms Hsiao Bi-khim, the de facto Taiwanese ambassador to the US.
She said that although vaccine purchases were the remit of Taiwan’s Health Ministry, her office’s role was to talk to the US about speeding up those requests.
Mr Biden said the US would send at least 20 million more vaccine doses abroad by the end of June.
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2021-05-18 06:53:02Z
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