Singapore donated 100,000 doses of the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine to Brunei in August. On 9 September, the Ministry of Health said Singapore will also donate 100,000 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine to Johor. This is in addition to a 500,000 dose vaccine swap with Australia. The Prime Minister has also committed to donating Covid-19 vaccines to other countries under the COVAX vaccine-sharing initiative.
It is important that countries support each other to ensure fair and equitable access to Covid-19 vaccines. In fact, I supported this point in my speech on behalf of the Singapore delegation at the Inter-Parliamentary Union Forum of Young Parliamentarians in May 2021. Given our next door neighbour Malaysia’s current struggle in combating the virus, it makes sense to donate vaccines to Johor, the state closest to our border.
However, it was less clear to me why Singapore is donating vaccines to Brunei, an oil-rich state with a GDP per capita of over US$31,000. While I can see how it would serve some purpose in strengthening diplomatic ties with the sultanate, was it necessary to make an outright donation given they can quite easily afford to purchase vaccines? How much did these vaccines cost Singapore? Which other countries have we donated vaccines to and are these countries in real need of vaccine donations?
I will be asking the following question at the 14 September 2021 sitting of Parliament:
Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs (a) which countries has Singapore donated COVID-19 vaccines to; (b) how many doses have been donated to each of these countries; (c) what is the total cost of these donations; and (d) what are the considerations for donations to higher income countries like Brunei which have the financial means to purchase their own vaccines.
Do you support donation of vaccines to other countries? If so, which countries should Singapore prioritise? Add your comments below or contact me directly at gerald.giam@wp.sg or WhatsApp 89250747.
