Oil drops as China developer downgrades add to fears over Omicron hit
BENGALURU (REUTERS) - Oil prices settled lower on Thursday (Dec 9) on fears about the economic outlook in the world's biggest oil importer following ratings downgrades to two Chinese property developers, and after some governments took measures to fight the Omicron variant of the coronavirus. Brent crude futures settled down US$1.40, or 1.9 per cent, to US$74.42 a barrel, backing off a session high of US$76.70. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were down US$1.42, or 2 per cent, at US$70.94 after hitting a peak of US$73.34. On Thursday, ratings agency Fitch downgraded property developers China Evergrande Group and Kaisa Group to "restricted default" status, saying they had defaulted on offshore bonds, while a source said that Kaisa had started work on restructuring its US$12 billion offshore debt. The news "exacerbates the Chinese GDP growth fears and ultimately could impact the oil-buying appetite of the world's biggest crude customer," said Rystad Energy analyst Louise Dickson. On Wednesday, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson imposed tougher Covid-19 restrictions in England, saying people should work from home where possible, wear masks in public places and show Cov...
Getting vaccinated against Covid-19 when pregnant lets new mother have peace of mind
SINGAPORE - When she was 30 weeks pregnant, Ms Suzanna Tang decided to go for her Covid-19 vaccine shots as she was worried that getting infected could complicate her labour. The 28-year-old was hesitant at first as she had come across differing opinions about the vaccine online. "I did my own research - I read about studies being done and they put my mind at ease. I decided that the pros outweighed the cons, as pregnant women who are not vaccinated are at a higher risk of developing pregnancy complications if they get Covid-19," she told The Straits Times. "I didn't want to be separated from my newborn after giving birth." Ms Tang, who is the founder of Urban Origins, a start-up that promotes local sustainable food brands, received her first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in early June at the KK Women's and Children's Hospital. She got her second dose in July. Over 85 per cent of pregnant women who are hospitalised due to Covid-19 infection are not fully vaccinated, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said in a Facebook post on Wednesday (Sept 29). Of these women, about 20 per cent experienced severe symptoms and required oxygen, while 10 per cent required high dependency and ICU (in...
A*STAR and Local SME Work with Vaccination Centres to Deploy Automated Systems for Filling Syringes
SINGAPORE, Sep 30, 2021 - (ACN Newswire via SEAPRWire.com) - The Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) has developed an Automated Vaccine Inoculation Dispenser (AVID) system, which replaces the manual step of filling injection syringes with vaccine liquid. AVID is customised for the vaccination centres which are set up by the Ministry of Health and operated by private healthcare providers.AVID was designed to address the labour-intensive steps of the vaccination process to reduce the workload of healthcare providers, increase accuracy and productivity, and enhance personal safety as well.AVID was developed by researchers from A*STAR's Advanced Remanufacturing and Technology Centre (ARTC) and Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology (SIMTech), in collaboration with local systems integrator Sysmatic Global. The innovative HealthTech solution is the first of its kind to automate the extraction of vaccines from vials using a combination of robotic parts, smart sensors and digital technologies.AVID currently supports the management of vials used to contain the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, with potential to be customised for the Moderna Vaccine as well.How it w...
Singapore kicks off Covid-19 vaccine booster programme for seniors
SINGAPORE - Singapore has kicked off its national Covid-19 vaccine booster programme on Wednesday (Sept 15), with more than 100 seniors having taken their shot at one of the many centres islandwide. Over the next few days, a total of 140,000 seniors will receive invitations from the Ministry of Health (MOH) to make an appointment to receive their booster dose of either the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccine. Seniors can also receive their third dose at Tanjong Pagar Community Club and some vaccination centres, polyclinics and participating Public Health Preparedness Clinics. Retired NTUC Income chief executive Tan Kin Lian was among the first in line at Teck Ghee Community Club, home to a vaccination centre run by Raffles Medical Group. By noon, more than 100 seniors had taken their third shot at the centre. "I'm in favour of vaccinations. If you're unvaccinated, you're five to eight times more likely to suffer serious illness," said Mr Tan, who went after his morning exercise. "People are getting quite frightened as the number of cases rises," said the 73-year-old who took the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. Retired clerk Ronnie Lee, 79, also took his booster shot on Wednesday morning as...
Shell weighs Covid-19 vaccine mandate, firing staff who resist: FT
BENGALURU (REUTERS) - Royal Dutch Shell is weighing whether to mandate Covid-19 vaccines for employees and firing those who refuse to comply, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday (Sept 8). The oil major outlined a case for "selective vaccine mandates" initially at offshore and other remote locations, where staff live and work, and where World Health Organization-approved vaccines were available, the Financial Times said, citing an internal memo sent to Shell's executive committee. The memo, dated Sept 1, also said employees in other parts of the business could be subjected to mandatory vaccination "over time", according to the newspaper. The document states that while "all reasonable efforts" would be made to avoid terminating employment of staff who refuse to comply with the vaccine mandate, the company "will be faced with no alternative but to do so", FT reported. Shell declined to comment on the report. Many companies have come out with mask mandates and changed their vaccination policies amid a resurgence in Covid-19 cases, spurred by the highly contagious Delta coronavirus variant. More on this topic Related Story Amazon faced with Covid-19 dilemma to mandate vaccinations...
Covid-19 booster jabs: Some may not get same vaccine from earlier shots
SINGAPORE - When Covid-19 booster shots are rolled out in Singapore, some may be given the same vaccine they took earlier while others may be administered a different one. "Both approaches are being considered, with pros and cons to both strategies," Associate Professor Lim Poh Lian, director of the High Level Isolation Unit at the National Centre for Infectious Diseases, told The Straits Times. "We have to look at which is more effective in protecting against the current and future virus strains circulating. We have to look at safety issues and different segments of the population. "What might be good for older adults might have more side-effects in younger persons, so it may not be a one-size-fits-all recommendation. Those kinds of data just take time to be collected, analysed and reported," said Prof Lim, who is also a member of the Expert Committee on Covid-19 vaccination. Those who got inactivated Covid-19 vaccines such as Sinovac may benefit from receiving an mRNA booster jab, some experts said. mRNA vaccines include the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, which are part of Singapore's national vaccination drive. Professor Ooi Eng Eong from Duke-NUS Medical School's Programme in Eme...
First batch of Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine available from Aug 30 in Singapore
SINGAPORE - The first batch of the Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine will be available at some hospitals and clinics from Monday (Aug 30). People can book an appointment at healthcare firm Clearbridge Health's Medic Surgical and Laser Clinic at Tanjong Pagar Plaza from Saturday, and it will begin administering the vaccine on Monday. The vaccine is priced at $98 for two doses, including goods and services tax (GST). It is understood that many of the Monday slots have already been taken. IHH Healthcare Singapore - which offers the Sinopharm vaccine at Gleneagles Hospital, Mount Elizabeth Hospital and Shenton Medical Group clinics in One Raffles Quay and Duxton - will open appointment bookings on Monday. The vaccine will be available at Gleneagles Hospital and the Shenton Medical Group clinics on Wednesday, while Mount Elizabeth Hospital will begin administering it from Sept 7. IHH Healthcare Singapore offers the vaccine at $99 for two doses, including GST. The Sinopharm vaccine is administered in two doses, which are given three to four weeks apart. It is approved to be used for people aged 18 and above. Clearbridge Medical Group, which runs Medic Surgical and Laser Clinic, said on Saturday...
Agilex Biolabs Partners with Endpoints News for the First Webinar on Rapid Vaccine Development in Australia
ADELAIDE, AUS, Aug 26, 2021 - (ACN Newswire via SEAPRWire.com) - Agilex Biolabs, the Australian specialist bioanalytical and toxicology laboratory facilities for clinical trials is partnering with Endpoints News to share the latest on "Non-clinical and clinical pathways for rapid vaccine development in Australia", in a webinar hosted by Endpoints News Editor Arsalan Arif.Agilex Biolabs' Director, Immunoassay, Kurt J. Sales (B.Sc; B.Sc (MED) Hons; M.Sc, Ph.D, PGCM) said:"The COVID-19 pandemic has seen the rapid development of a series of novel vaccines targeting SARS-CoV-2. Development of multiple COVID-19 vaccine candidates has been facilitated within Australia by the availability of high-quality contract research organizations such as Agilex Biolabs, and a favorable regulatory environment. This webinar will cover the pathways that biotech companies can take for rapid vaccine development, and why Australia is the ideal location. I am joined by my toxicology expert colleagues Dr Peter Tapley and Dr Drew Brockman for this detailed vaccine development webinar."In this webinar Dr Sales and specialists from Agilex Biolabs' toxicology firm, TetraQ Toxicology will provide an overview of s...
COVAC Token, the First-Ever Crypto COVID Vaccine Token Skyrockets 180x In 2 Months
New York, NY, Aug 23, 2021 - (ACN Newswire via SEAPRWire.com) - With vaccine passports touted to remain a permanent fixture of international travel, and even domestic mobility for the foreseeable future, this new crypto initiative seems to be riding the wave of recovery with its $COVAC cryptocurrency. The market appears to be loving it as its price has skyrocketed 180x in 2 months since its launch on PancakeSwap, a decentralised exchange running on the Binance Smart Chain (BSC), on 18 June 2021.At the time of writing, the $COVAC token price was $0.000162 with a market cap of $2.46mil on PancakeSwap (as of 23 Aug 2021).See how to buy $COVACSeehowto buy $COVACSo, what exactly is COVAC? COVAC, which stands for COVID Vaccine, is a community-driven, fair launched DeFi token used to track the number of COVID vaccinated people around the world. This token was created as a countdown timer to when we can resume travel and get back to our pre-COVID travel lifestyle.Crypto Launching 2021 | Covac a Covid Vaccination Powered DeFi TokenIt currently has a growing base of holders, and is aiming to launch on Hotbit, a centralised exchange on 26 Aug 2021. The ambitious team behind this first-ever cr...
MOH to track sale of Sinovac Covid-19 vaccination slots, take action if needed
SINGAPORE - Enforcement action will be taken against people who exploit others by selling their Sinovac-CoronaVac Covid-19 vaccination slots. Responding to queries from The Straits Times on Sunday (Aug 22), a spokesman at the Ministry of Health (MOH) said: "Individuals with booking slots should not exploit the situation and take advantage of people who want to be vaccinated." MOH said it will watch out for any such acts of selling vaccination slots and "will proceed to take enforcement action where warranted". Last Wednesday, checks by ST found four bidders on consumer e-marketplace Carousell offering between $50 and $80 to buy the slots. One of the bidders said his family member is unable to receive messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) vaccines, such as the Pfizer-BioNTech/Comirnaty and Moderna vaccines, under the national vaccination programme due to a medical reason. The Sinovac vaccine is not included in Singapore's national vaccination programme. MOH said it has not received any complaints related to the online posts. It is unclear if any transaction has taken place. Under the Special Access Route framework, the Government has allocated 170,000 doses of the Sinovac vaccine to 31 ...
Singapore contributes 100,000 doses of Moderna Covid-19 vaccine to Brunei
SINGAPORE - Singapore has contributed 100,000 doses of the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine to Brunei, as part of bilateral efforts to tackle the pandemic. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Saturday (Aug 21) in a statement that Singapore High Commissioner to Brunei Heng Aik Yeow handed over the vaccines to Brunei Health Minister Mohd Isham Jaafar on Thursday. "This contribution is part of both governments' intent to deepen cooperation and extend mutual support to combat this pandemic together," said the ministry. Singapore has met its target to have 70 per cent of the population fully vaccinated by National Day on Aug 9. As at Friday, 77 per cent of the nation's population have received both doses. Around 27 per cent of Brunei's population of around 433,000 people have been vaccinated as at Aug 17, according to statistics from Reuters. More on this topic Related Story Changi Foundation, airport partners donate 1,380 oxygen concentrators to Indonesia to fight Covid-19
Covid-19 vaccine by Arcturus and Singapore’s Duke-NUS in phase 2 trials
SINGAPORE - Three different Covid-19 messenger RNA vaccines which may have reduced side effects when administered are being developed with Singapore's involvement in their clinical trials. Developed by United States-firm Arcturus Therapeutics, the three vaccine candidates can be given at a much lower dose than the mRNA vaccines now available - such as those by Pfizer and Moderna - because of the "self-amplifying" mRNA technology they use. Each dose of the Arcturus vaccine contains five micrograms of vaccine, compared to 30 mcg in the Pfizer vaccine and 100 mcg in the Moderna vaccine. The first vaccine, known as ARCT-021, targets the wildtype, or original Sars-CoV-2 virus, and was developed together with the Duke-NUS Medical School in Singapore. Local phase two trials, administered by SingHealth's Investigational Medicine Unit, are still ongoing. The two newer vaccines - ARCT-154 and ARCT-165 - target the four variants of concern, Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Delta. The local clinical trials will evaluate the vaccines' safety and immune response against the variants, and as possible booster shots for people who have received the Pfizer vaccines, said Associate Professor Jenny Low, the uni...
China’s mRNA vaccine firm Abogen raises over $955m from investors including Temasek
BEIJING (REUTERS) - China's Suzhou Abogen Biosciences said on Thursday (Aug 19) it has raised over US$700 million (S$955 million) to support clinical development of its potential Covid-19 vaccine and expand pipeline of other vaccine and treatment candidates. Abogen's potential shot against the new coronavirus, which it is jointly developing with a research institute affiliated with Chinese military and Walvax Biotechnology, adopts the messenger RNA (mRNA) technology. The candidate ARCoV is being tested in a phase three clinical trial. The fund-raising was led by seven investors, including Singapore's state investment firm Temasek Holdings and Hillhouse-backed GL ventures, Abogen said in a statement. More on this topic Related Story MRNA vaccine access carves up world into haves and have-nots Related Story China to approve mRNA Covid-19 vaccine soon
Bidders on Carousell offer to buy Sinovac Covid-19 vaccination appointment slots
SINGAPORE - News that the Government's stock of 200,000 doses of Sinovac Covid-19 vaccines here is running low has prompted offers to buy vaccination slots on consumer marketplace Carousell. A check by The Straits Times on Wednesday (Aug 18) showed four bidders dangling between $50 and $80 to buy the slots. They were posted from Thursday last week. It is unclear if any transaction has taken place. ST has reached out to the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Health Sciences Authority on the legality of such deals. MOH has allowed 31 private healthcare institutions to offer the vaccine under the Special Access Route. Those interested have to call the clinics or visit the healthcare institutions' websites to book an appointment. Walk-in patients are turned away. MOH had on Aug 10 announced that Sinovac stocks here were being depleted, but added it was facilitating private healthcare institutions to order more supplies. Stocks are expected to arrive in the next four to six weeks. The Sinovac vaccine is not included in Singapore's national vaccination programme. One of the bidders on Carousell said his family member is unable to receive messenger ribonucleuc acid (mRNA) vaccines, such as ...
Highest financial aid of $225k paid to two patients for serious side effects from Covid-19 vaccine: MOH
SINGAPORE - Two patients suffering from serious side effects related to the Covid-19 vaccine have each received the highest payout of $225,000 in government financial aid so far, said the Ministry of Health (MOH). One of them is a 16-year-old boy who suffered a cardiac arrest after his first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine. The boy is currently undergoing inpatient rehabilitation. "The Tier 1 payout of $225,000 has been extended to a total of two applicants so far, including this case," an MOH spokesman told The Straits Times late at night on Monday (Aug 16). The spokesman did not provide details of the second case and whether it was related to the Pfizer-BioNTech/Comirnaty vaccine. Under the Vaccine Injury Financial Assistance Programme (VIFAP) rolled out earlier this year, a one-time payout will be given to those who experienced medically significant serious side effects. This is to give a greater peace of mind for those taking Covid-19 vaccination. MOH added that a total of of $782,000 has been paid out, or is in the process of being paid out, to 144 applicants who have been assessed to have met the qualifying criteria for VIFAP. MOH said on Monday (Aug 16) that the 16-year-old boy...
Singapore to start clinical trials for two Covid-19 vaccines that target Delta, among other variants
SINGAPORE - Local clinical trials will soon commence for two Covid-19 vaccines, developed by a United States-based company to target four variants of concern, including the Delta. The early-stage clinical trial, which has just received approval from the Health Sciences Authority, will evaluate the vaccines' safety and immune response against the Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Delta variants, and as possible booster shots for vaccinated people. The vaccines were developed by pharmaceutical firm Arcturus Therapeutics. The trial is looking to recruit healthy volunteers, both male and female, who are between 21 and 65 years old. It will be administered by SingHealth's Investigational Medicine Unit, which is led by Associate Professor Jenny Low. Prof Low, the unit's deputy clinical and scientific director, told The Straits Times: "The two new vaccines, ARCT-154 and ARCT-165 will be tested together with the original ARCT-021 vaccine, where we will compare all three vaccines against one another for their safety and antibody protection." The ARCT-021 vaccine, which was previously known as the Lunar-Cov19 vaccine, is still undergoing phase two of its clinical trials, which began earlier this year. ...
Sanofi offers to buy US biotech, mRNA partner Translate Bio: sources
PARIS (REUTERS) - Sanofi has offered to buy US biotech company Translate Bio, two sources familiar with the situation said on Monday, as the French drugmaker bets on next-generation mRNA technology after setbacks in the Covid-19 vaccine race. Shares in the New York-listed biotech company soared more than 70 per cent to above US$50 in extended trading, building on the big gains in the stock as investors have piled in to the sector amid a rush to develop vaccines and treatments to tame the pandemic which has killed 4.3 million and roiled the global economy. An offer for all Translate Bio shares had been made to the US group's shareholders, the sources said. The persons declined to be identified due to the confidentiality of the talks. Translate's board was expected to meet on Monday to discuss the offer, one of the sources said. The second source said Sanofi's directors had met on Sunday to discuss the potential deal. A spokeswoman for Sanofi declined to comment and Translate Bio did not respond to requests by email and phone for comment. Financial terms of the offer were not known. Translate Bio's market value has soared fivefold since the start of the pandemic, to about US$2.2 bill...
China’s Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine could soon be available in Singapore
SINGAPORE - China's Sinopharm vaccine could soon be made available in Singapore, with several private healthcare groups already taking steps to secure doses of the jab. This will likely see it becoming the fourth Covid-19 vaccine available here, as the country ramps up nationwide vaccination rates in order to ease restrictions on social gatherings and get the economy back to normal. IHH Healthcare Singapore told The Straits Times that the Health Sciences Authority has given approval for it to import the Sinopharm vaccine under the Special Access Route framework. "This will give people in Singapore access to another... vaccine option," said Dr Noel Yeo, the group's chief operating officer. "Details are still being worked out at the moment. We will make a formal announcement when more information becomes available." Separately, Raffles Medical Group has put up a Facebook post asking people to register their interest in the Chinese vaccine, which uses an inactivated virus to elicit protection against Covid-19. The Straits Times has approached the group for comment. The Special Access Route framework allows private healthcare groups to bring in Covid-19 vaccines that have been put on t...
Recent death of 16-year-old boy not linked to Covid-19 vaccine, says MOH
SINGAPORE - The recent death of a 16-year-old boy was not linked to vaccination, the Ministry of Health clarified in a Facebook post on Wednesday (July 14). It added that it was aware of "speculation in Facebook, Telegram and WhatsApp chat groups" featuring an obituary that led to the conjecture that the teenager had died from a "vaccine-related severe adverse event". That is why there was a need to clarify that the boy's demise referenced in these posts and messages were not vaccine-related, MOH added. MOH had said on July 7 that it is investigating the possible causes behind a 16-year-old boy suffering cardiac arrest after a strenuous session of weightlifting, with the Covid-19 vaccine being a possible factor. The Straits Times has contacted MOH to clarify if these are separate incidents. "We urge the public not to spread unsubstantiated information which may add to the family's grief or cause public alarm unnecessarily," MOH said in its Facebook post. More on this topic Related Story Swimming, cycling, lifting heavy weights should be avoided after Covid-19 jabs: MOH Related Story 4 young men in S'pore had heart inflammation after Covid-19 jabs Related Stories: Related Story Dine...