- Joined
- Aug 20, 2022
- Messages
- 19,951
- Points
- 113

It is with sadness that I inform everyone the passing of Prof Dr. Gabriel Oon.
He was one of the pioneers of vaccinology in Singapore and worked with Lee Kuan Yew back in the early days to develop the Hepatitis vaccine.
"Founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew said he wanted the vaccine to be 300 per cent safe, not just 100 per cent safe. I decided that if I had to vaccinate babies, I must vaccinate my children first," said Dr Oon, who was speaking at his final academic lecture at Duke-NUS Medical School on July 4 when he recounted the research team's journey to end the hepatitis B epidemic here.
Such were the spirit of nation building in our pioneers.
Since the rollouts of the Covid-19 vaccination programme, Dr Oon has spoken out on many occasions on his Facebook, Twitter and to the press, often to the displeasure of MOH.
Thank you Dr Oon for speaking up and inviting MOH's wrath.
https://www.factually.gov.sg/corrections-and-clarifications/factually081223/
https://www.sma.org.sg/news/2021/Ma...th-dr-gabriel-oon-chong-jin-pioneer-scientist
https://www.duke-nus.edu.sg/allevents/detail/the-success-of-the-hepatitis-b-project-34-years-later
We remember your legacy and may we remind MOH that science is often about disagreements before reaching the facts or "truth". Without hypothesis, there will be no science. Without brave doctors and scientists disagreeing with the consensus, there will be no breakthroughs. Please allow doctors to be doctors.
Let's forget disagreements today but only remember one thing: Vaccines must be 300% safe.
Rest in peace Prof Dr. Gabriel Oon.