The People’s Power Party attempted to draw associations between high vaccination rates and excess deaths in a Facebook post last Wednesday, citing “studies and analyses by prominent medical experts”, the ministry said in a media statement on Monday.
The party claimed that Singapore has been experiencing “unusual and exceptionally high excess deaths” since 2021, when Covid-19 vaccination was introduced, as compared to pre-vaccination years.
“It is more worrying that such high excess deaths situation is not unique to Singapore as other highly Covid-19-vaccinated countries and region are also encountering similar problems,” the opposition party said in its Facebook post.
The health ministry said it categorically rejected the egregious and false claims, adding that people must “draw the right conclusions and follow the scientific evidence on the safety and effectiveness of Covid-19 vaccines”.
“The primary reason why Singapore recorded one of the lowest excess death rates in the world during the pandemic is because the majority of Singaporeans took the vaccines,” it said.
The primary reason why Singapore recorded one of the lowest excess death rates … is because the majority of Singaporeans took the vaccines
The health ministry said that contrary to claims that vaccination led to excess deaths, multiple studies have shown that Covid-19 vaccination reduces the risk compared to unvaccinated populations.
This includes countries that predominantly use the mRNA vaccines, it added.
“In fact, 19.8 million deaths from Covid-19 were prevented globally within the first 12 months that vaccines became available [December 2020-21]”, the ministry said.
Excess deaths in Singapore during the pandemic were attributable to deaths of people infected with Covid-19 or those with a recent infection, it said. Of those who died, there was an “over-representation” of people who were not fully vaccinated.
The high level of vaccine protection averted many Covid-related deaths, protected the healthcare system from being overwhelmed and preserved lives and livelihoods, the ministry said, adding: “The normalcy in our daily lives today is in large part due to the protection that Covid-19 vaccines provide.”
Multiple international and local studies also consistently showed the effectiveness of vaccination in preventing severe outcome of Covid infection, especially among older people, the ministry said.
Vaccination and vaccine boosters also “mitigate the risk of developing long-term conditions after Covid-19 infection”, it said. These include cardiovascular, cerebrovascular and thrombotic complications.
“This is why keeping up to date with additional vaccine doses is pertinent even as Covid-19 becomes endemic, much like vaccination against influenza and pneumococcus,” the ministry said.
“Covid-19 waves occur from time to time and can cause severe disease among those who are older or medically vulnerable. The vaccines will be able to protect individuals and prevent deaths.”
The health ministry added that it had responded to each of the “so-called experts” cited by the People’s Power Party.