My Japanese Palm Tree taken one year ago 19th July 2020
Sunday 25th July 2021. We are into the second year of the COVID - 19 endemic with the world still reeling from the effects of yet another variant (the Delta) and the fallout from the people catching it is indeed frightening. The politics of COVID is still being played out with the West accusing China of starting the pandemic and China rebutting about the origins and pushing back.
Fortunately, in Singapore, life goes on almost normally. Albeit with masks on when we go out,nothing else has changed much. We are still one united people and many establishments such as Food and Beverage, Travel, Retail and even Air Travel are reeling with record losses in 2 unforgettable years of mayhem and disaster.
The silver lining is that Singapore with its well managed Government, has kept the numbers of cases down ; though there is the lingering distaste that the 2HA partial lockdown has again made many people frustrated of not being able to meet and dine in public for another month.
Its the price we pay for the spike in numbers, until we get to the so-called 'herd immunity' 70% number.
I too have my own frustrations of how the vaccination has affected me.
On 7th April, I booked my first jab at the Hong Kah North CC at 4pm. At 3.45 pm I was there and went through the procedures like briefing of what not to do and to do after the vaccination.
Everything went smoothly at 4.00 pm. After 30 minutes of sitting it out (the medical authorities needed to see if anybody had severe side effects after the vaccine), we could go home and I dutifully did.
The next few days were uneventful. On the 6th day, I was hosting a lunch with my ex-lecturer and after that sashimi lunch, both my staff and I felt a little unwell and I needed to go to the bathroom. I thought nothing of it, perhaps too much raw food and continued as normally as I could
The next morning, I came down with a bad rash which started on my legs. It was itching like crazy and soon it went to my body and arms. After sending my wife off to work, I went straight to the GP who diagnosed it to be a case of 'hives'.
I was given a dose of anti-histamine (steroids) and some cream. Not content with that, I also went to TTSH A and E for another opinion, and the result was " adverse reaction to the Moderna vaccine".
So, I was exempted from taking the second mRNA vaccine in May.
Thankfully after 3 days, I was fully recovered and continued as if nothing had happened.
My followup appointment with the National Skin Centre was quick and the doctor there assured me that it would be wise to wait till the Ministry of Health formally advocates another vaccine jab to be taken 'somewhere down the road'.
Well in July I received my notice and I will take my first Vaccine Jab (Sinovac) by early August.
Am I happy ? No.
My thinking is this.
The Sinovac vaccine has an efficacy of 57% or so. Far less than the other mRNA vaccines.
However, the national MOH wants me to go for it so that I can be 'fully vaccinated' and I would be able to have some 'vaccine certificate' on my phone.
However, the frustrating thing is that the Sinovac vaccine is a Private company, and apparently many of their success in controlling the virus is still not proven.
So my question to MOH os Singapore is this : Why offer me this 'solution' ?
1. It is only partially effective in mitigating the effects of the COVID - 19
2. It is not recognised by many countries ; especially in Middle East where I am scheduled to visit once most of the world gets 'Herd Immunity"
This to me is highly unsatisfactory and surely there can be a better offering to someone like me who is still relatively young, healthy and in the prime of his business career.
Come on MOH
