Demand for Sinovac and Sinopharm booster jabs rising
This is mainly due to fear of side effects from third dose of mRNA vaccines
Several private clinics here have been seeing a demand for Sinovac and Sinopharm vaccines as booster shots, owing largely to a fear of side effects from the third dose of an mRNA jab.
Vaccines such as Sinovac and Sinopharm use inactivated viral particles to teach one's immune system to make antibodies.
So far, it has been recommended that those aged 50 and above take an additional mRNA shot of either the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines at least six months after their two-dose vaccine regimen, to ensure a high level of protection from severe disease is maintained across a longer period.
The Expert Committee on Covid-19 Vaccination is still studying the possibility of mixing vaccines for the booster dose.
Dr Chua Guan Kiat, a general practitioner at Chua Medical Clinic and Surgery in Bukit Batok, told The Straits Times that there has so far been a "sizeable demand" for Sinovac and Sinopharm as vaccine boosters, the bulk of which comes from the elderly who had been fully vaccinated with an mRNA vaccine.
Dr Chua said that since his clinic started offering Sinovac jabs on Sept 23, 20 to 30 doses of booster vaccines are being administered each day, with demand likely to rise steadily now that those over 50 have also been invited to take their booster doses.
He added that the fear of potential side effects from a third dose of the mRNA vaccine has been a major driving force to opt for an inactivated vaccine like Sinovac as a booster.
Ms Michelle Lim, chief operating officer of Royal Healthcare in Novena, told ST that her clinic has administered close to 1,000 booster shots so far.
She noted that some companies in manufacturing, construction and supermarkets have also arranged with the clinic to have their staff vaccinated with a booster dose of Sinopharm in the hopes of limiting workplace transmission.
Ms Lim said many of those who opted for the Sinopharm jab said they experienced side effects after their two-dose mRNA vaccine and hoped the booster would be milder, while others hoped the Sinopharm jab could offer a wider spectrum of antibodies.
One other reason was the US Food and Drug Administration not recommending Pfizer booster shots for those aged below 65, as there were concerns about the risk of doing so, compared with the benefits, she noted.
Dr Leong Hoe Nam, an infectious diseases physician at Rophi Clinic, said many of his patients who received both doses of the Pfizer vaccine had requested for the Sinopharm vaccine as a booster.
"Anecdotally, many who had one dose of the inactivated vaccine after receiving two doses of the mRNA had very good antibody results. No doubt, the best antibody results were still obtained with a third mRNA dose, but many didn't want to go through the same side effects again," he said.
One of them, Mr Ho, who is in his 60s, recently received his Sinopharm booster jab after two doses of the Pfizer vaccine.
He told ST that he experienced severe pain at his injection site after his second Pfizer dose but not after his Sinopharm booster.
Get The New Paper on your phone with the free TNP app. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now