These are the top stories making the front pages of major newspapers from across Southeast Asia today.
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S'pore has checks in place to ensure Covid-19 vaccine cold chain remains intact: Experts
A critical part in the distribution of the temperature-sensitive Covid-19 vaccines, made by Pfizer and BioNTech as well as Moderna, is to ensure a specified temperature range is maintained. In Singapore, stringent checks are in place that ensure the cold chain for these vaccines is not compromised and that the vaccines remain safe and effective, experts said on Thursday (Dec 17) during a Straits Times webinar on Covid-19 vaccination. Their assurance comes after the Government announced on Monday its plans to roll out Covid-19 vaccines in Singapore soon, including the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine which the Health Sciences Authority has approved. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is already being administered in Britain and the United States while other nations such as Canada, Saudi Arabia, Mexico and Kuwait have authorised its use. Singapore administers all manner of vaccines daily and "the cold chain management is very much a part of the normal process", said Associate Professor Lim Poh Lian, director of the High-Level Isolation Unit at the National Centre for Infectious Diseases and a member of an expert committee on Covid-19 vaccination appointed by the Health Ministry. For instance, the Traveller's Health and Vaccination Clinic at Tan Tock Seng Hospital, which Prof Lim heads, features temperature-controlled refrigerators that record any deviation from prescribed temperatures, which would trigger an alarm. Such a deviation can result from the fridge breaking down or the electricity going off, but she assured that there will be a record of that. "We actually have thrown away vaccines when it exceeded the temperature excursion because the fridge broke down, for example. "That's part of the commitment that we make to safety and quality." She also said there is no reason to think it would be any different for Covid-19 vaccines since so much more attention is being paid to them. – The Straits Times
Experts: No need to panic about vaccine side effects
There is no need to hit the panic button over scattered reports claiming adverse reactions to Covid-19 vaccines that are being rolled out, say medical experts. The focus, they said, should instead be on the wellbeing of the global population and how the vaccines could shield them from infection. Epidemiologist Professor Datuk Dr Awang Bulgiba Awang Mahmud said all vaccines and medication had side effects, which occur because humans can be diverse in their response to a vaccine or a medicine. "The question is whether the benefits of a vaccine or medicine outweigh the risk of side effects and whether the side effects are transient or permanent. "If the vaccine is very effective and the side effects are relatively minor, affect a very small proportion of the population and are transient, one can accept that some people will suffer some side effects. "The majority, however, will enjoy the benefits of the vaccine," he told the New Straits Times. He was commenting on reports of how some individuals had experienced adverse reactions to vaccines that are being rolled out globally. CNN yesterday reported that a healthcare worker in Alaska, the United States, suffered an allergic reaction to Pfizer's Covid-19 vaccine and later reported symptoms that included shortness of breath and elevated heart rate. The case is believed to be the first allergic reaction to the vaccine to be reported in the US. On Dec 10, health authorities in the United Kingdom cautioned that those with a "significant history of allergic reactions" should not be given the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine after two healthcare workers experienced symptoms a day after receiving a shot. In Peru, the government suspended the trial for the Sinopharm vaccine from China after a participant reportedly experienced decreased strength in the legs and other symptoms. On Nov 27, Malaysia announced that it had, through the Health Ministry, inked a deal with Pfizer to obtain 12.8 million doses of its Covid-19 vaccine to immunise 6.4 million Malaysians. The doses will reach the country in the first quarter of next year. On the Pfizer vaccine, Dr Awang Bulgiba said it had already received Emergency Use Authorisation from several countries. – New Straits Times
Thailand eases curbs on travel
The government is easing travel restrictions for citizens from 56 countries to boost the country's pandemic-hit tourism industry, though visitors will be required to undergo a mandatory two-week hotel quarantine. Tourists from countries including Australia, France and the United States can travel without visas, but would need a certificate to show they are free of Covid-19 72 hours before travel and a booking at a quarantine hotel, Taweesilp Visanuyothin, spokesman for the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA), said. Visitors would then be subject to a two-week quarantine period after arriving, he said, adding the normal 30-day visa would be extended to 45 days. While in quarantine, arrivals would undergo three Covid-19 tests, up from two required previously, Dr Taweesilp said, adding that more testing could potentially lead to shorter quarantine periods in the future. The revisions come as the tourism-reliant economy struggles to encourage more domestic activity, but an ongoing travel ban continues to keep most foreign tourists away. Earlier, each arrival was tested twice during 14-day quarantine, first three to five days after arrival, and then again on days 11-13. Each arrival is now tested three times, on day 0-1, day 9-10 and day 13-14, Dr Taweesilp said. The changed testing process would continue until Dec 31. Health officials would then study the results and assess whether quarantine could be reduced to 10 days, Dr Taweesilp said. The assessment will begin on Jan 1 and is expected to be finalised by Jan 15, he said. A shorter quarantine is aimed at attracting foreign tourists, he added. Deputy Prime Minister and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul previously said the scheme would be for visitors from low-risk countries. – Bangkok Post
American, Chinese nationals among drug convicts transferred to Nusakambangan prison island
As many as 15 drug convicts have been transferred from Kerobokan penitentiary in Bali to the maximum security Nusakambangan prison island in Cilacap, Central Java as part of efforts to clean up penitentiaries of alleged drug trafficking business by inmates. Three foreign inmates were among the convicts transferred on Wednesday. The spokesman for the Bali chapter of the Law and Human Rights Ministry, I Putu Surya Dharma, said the transfer was carried out in the early morning of Wednesday. Besides the 15 inmates from Kerobokan, there were also three other inmates from Bangli narcotic penitentiary in the transfer to the infamous Nusakambangan prison island. “A total of 18 inmates were transferred to Nusakambangan, Surya said on Thursday. The three foreign inmates are an American named Christian Beasley, a drug convict who is serving eight years' imprisonment and two Hong Kong residents Jo Ping Kwong and Man Chun Kwok, who are serving 20- and 18-year prison sentences respectively. “All inmates are drug convicts that have been sentenced to more than five years' imprisonment,” Surya said. Beasley made headlines when he escaped Kerobokan prison in 2017 as he was awaiting his sentence. He was recaptured five days after his escape in the neighbouring island of Lombok in West Nusa Tenggara. Kerobokan prison warden Yulius Sahruzah said the transfer was part of the ministry’s program to clean up prisons of drug trafficking. “They are drug dealers and drug convicts that are serving high penalties and risking our program here,” Yulius said. Yulius explained that those 15 inmates had committed drug offenses repeatedly. Some of them had also been caught with drugs inside the prison. "This is part of our attempt to break the narcotic chain inside the prison,” he emphasized. The ministry had also transferred 228 convicted drug dealers detained at penitentiaries in Jakarta, Yogyakarta and West Java to Nusakambangan in July in a move to cut drug circulation in the country. – The Jakarta Post
Lawmakers: Missed Pfizer deal smells of ‘kickvac’
Sen. Kiko Pangilinan on Thursday said some government officials may be held liable for graft over the government’s failure to secure a deal for 10 million doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine that US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had helped to arrange for the Philippines. In a statement, Pangilinan said the failure raised suspicion that the prospect of kickbacks might have motivated the government officials not to submit a document required by the US pharmaceutical giant. “We just hope it’s not an issue of ‘kickvac’ that led to the ‘dropping of the ball’ in the vaccine procurement,” Pangilinan said. “On the other hand, if it can be proved that the refusal to act within a reasonable time was intended to favour another party, then Section 3(f) of the antigraft law applies,” he said. Pangilinan was commenting on news reports that Sen. Panfilo Lacson had named Health Secretary Francisco Duque III as the official who “dropped the ball” in the deal for 10 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine that Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. and Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel “Babe” Romualdez had arranged with Pfizer with the help of Pompeo. In a series of tweets on Tuesday, Locsin disclosed that he and Romualdez had arranged for the delivery of the vaccine with Pompeo’s help, with the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) bankrolling the purchase. “That said, my thanks just the same to … Pompeo. We – Babe Romualdez and I – got 10 million doses of Pfizer financed by World Bank and ADB to be shipped thru FedEx to Clark (airport) in January,” Locsin said. “BUT SOMEBODY DROPPED THE BALL. I have steel ball bearings. I just need a slingshot,” he added. Locsin did not name the official who mishandled the deal, but Lacson, citing information from Romualdez, said on Wednesday night it was Duque and that the health chief failed to submit a confidentiality disclosure agreement (CDA) that would have allowed the deal to go through. As a result of Duque’s failure, the Philippines missed the opportunity to get a COVID-19 vaccine as early as January, Lacson said. The opportunity went to Singapore instead, he said. The senator said the negotiations with Pfizer started as early as July and that Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III assured Locsin and Romualdez that money would be made available for the purchase of the vaccine. – INQUIRER.net
VN starts injection of homegrown COVID-19 vaccine in first-stage human trial
Three volunteers on Thursday morning received the first doses of Nano Covax, Việt Nam’s first COVID-19 vaccine to be trialled on humans, at the Military Medical University in Hà Nội. The two men and a woman, whose identities have been kept private, will be monitored for 72 hours in separate rooms at the university after the vaccine shots were administered, developed by HCM City-based Nanogen Pharmaceutical Biotechnology JSC, before they can go back to their residences. The research team will work with local health authorities to monitor the health status of the volunteers to ensure they follow the regulations needed for optimal conditions of the trial, including lifestyle requirements. Each of the volunteers will be monitored for 56 days after the vaccination. The three were chosen among about 300 volunteers who registered to participate in the human trials of the vaccine, after rigorous medical examination procedures. After three days, the rest of the eligible 60 volunteers aged 18-50 will also receive the shots. Lieutenant-General Đỗ Quyết, Director of the Military Medical University, said the purpose of the phase 1 trial is to decide the correct dose and test the safety of the vaccine, with the “safety for the volunteers being the highest priority". “We have prepared the best we could, including building rigorous protocols and enhanced responses in cases of emergencies, or when unwanted side effects occur at all levels – from light and mild to serious,” Quyết said at a press briefing held after the shots were given to the first three volunteers. Việt Nam’s Government is committed to making a homegrown coronavirus vaccine to avoid reliance on other vaccines which might not meet the huge demand from all over the world. “The stock of approved vaccines can only reach one-fifth of the global population and most of it will go to developed countries. It’s time Việt Nam can proclaim to the world that we can do this [our own vaccine], just like the evident successes we have had in the prevention and control of COVID-19 in the country,” Quyết said. Vaccine manufacturers, scientists and experts cannot deliver a COVID-19 vaccine alone and the process will need the involvement of people with a sense of patriotism and community responsibility, he added. "We pledge to assess [the vaccine] objectively, honestly, and transparently, and submit the proposals to the health ministry for later-stage trials,” he continued. – Viet Nam News
Businesses re-opening but sales still down: Survey
Many businesses have re-opened since June but sales are still down significantly, especially micro, small and medium-sized companies (MSMES), with firms in Siem Reap very badly hit, according to the World Bank’s Cambodia Business Surveys (BPS). The BPS was taken to understand the economic effects of COVID-19 on companies. It was conducted in June and September and covered more than 500 firms. The survey showed marked signs of reductions in firm closures and sales but the impact is still being felt widely. It added that findings from June and September show that firms continue to face substantial hardship through a variety of channels, with a long road to recovery ahead. The global COVID-19 pandemic has prompted governments around the world to take measures to reduce the spread of the virus. Lockdowns have mandated non-essential businesses to close or significantly reduce staff at work but, even in the absence of mandatory closures, revenue and businesses operations have faced severe consequences of large negative labour and consumer demand shocks, according to the survey. Like other countries in the region, Cambodia ordered closures in early April of a range of businesses that presented a high risk of COVID-19 transmissions, such as gyms and fitness centres, spas, cinemas, casinos, karaoke bars and entertainment clubs. With the limited local COVID-19 outbreak, many of these restrictions were lifted in July and August on the condition that additional health precautions be put in place. “Consistent with the return of domestic economic activity, the findings of the BPS show that firms have continued re-opening their businesses since June. The share of firms that were open has risen from a then high of 81 percent in June to 89 percent in September,” said the survey. It added that in September, 8 percent of firms remained temporarily closed because of the pandemic, compared with 16 percent in June. The re-opening progress has not been uniform across sectors. While more than 90 percent of businesses were open in sectors such as manufacturing, construction, utilities, wholesale and retail trade, financial activities and health in June, businesses in other sectors were very limited in their ability to operate. “For example, between 55 percent and 60 percent of firms in accommodation, food services, transportation and storage were open in June. With between 80 percent and 83 percent of firms in these sectors open in September, they have caught up considerably but are still below average. The education sector, at 64 percent, had the lowest share of being open in September.” – Khmer Times