PRIME Minister Lee Hsien Loong took the Covid-19 vaccine at the start of a nationwide drive to vaccinate staff across various public healthcare institutions.
Also vaccinated yesterday were the Health Ministry’s director of medical services, Kenneth Mak, along with 88 healthcare workers from the Singapore General Hospital (SGH).
“It’s painless, it’s effective and it’s important, ” Lee said to reporters after a 30-minute observation period was over.
“I hope Singaporeans will take it up as we roll it out.”
He added: “We’ve got ample vaccines coming in. We ordered them early, we have enough for everybody in Singapore - all the residents, all the citizens and even the non-citizens who are staying here.”
The prime minister was at SGH to observe the start of inoculations for healthcare workers, and he took the opportunity to get his own vaccine.
He was jabbed in his right arm, as he is left-handed, and will return in three weeks for the second dose.
The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine requires two injections, given 21 days apart, and all who are vaccinated will be issued a vaccination card to remind them of follow-up appointments.
“The needle was very fine, ” Lee added in Mandarin. “You can hardly feel it when it goes in.”
He urged all Singapore residents to get the vaccine when it is available to them.
“It will make us safer and it will make you and your loved ones safer too, so please take it when you get it, ” he said.
Administering the vaccine was senior staff nurse Fatimah Mohd Shah, 41, who gave the Prime Minister advice on what to look out for after his jab and took a photo with him afterwards.
“I felt happy and honoured to administer the vaccine for the prime minister, ” said Fatimah. “Of course, I was a bit nervous, yes.”
Lee said last month that he and his Cabinet colleagues would be getting vaccinated early to show Singaporeans that they believe the vaccine is safe.
Singapore received its first shipment of vaccines on Dec 21, making it the first Asian country to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech product.
The vaccines were flown in from Brussels on a Singapore Airlines flight, and subsequently loaded onto a refrigerated truck and taken to a secret location.
Forty employees from the National Centre for Infectious Diseases, including executive director Leo Yee Sin, were the first to get the jab on Dec 30.
The Covid-19 vaccine is free for all Singaporeans and long-term residents.
Although the jab is optional, the Health Ministry’s chief health scientist, Prof Tan Chorh Chuan, has said at least 80% of the population will need to be vaccinated in order to achieve herd immunity.
Those who wish to get vaccinated will have to make an advance booking. However, they will not get to choose the vaccine they want.
More vaccines are expected to arrive in the next few months, including those by American firm Moderna and China’s Sinovac.
- ANN
Created by Tan KW | Nov 10, 2024
Created by Tan KW | Nov 10, 2024
Created by Tan KW | Nov 10, 2024
The gov oredi wasted a lot of time. Initialy said take few months to evaluate the data.
2021-01-09 16:39
This shows glove is not important and it has been overly promoted by dummies!
2021-01-09 17:10
It is not important in Singapore but it doesn't mean not important in US and UK where covid wide spreading.
2021-01-09 17:13
It is entirely different world. Therefore, covid is spreading at hyper speed.
2021-01-09 17:16
Which world?
The Covid is the same here and everywhere it infected.
In your pathetic fear mongering world?
2021-01-09 17:21
U clean up your hand & them do injection, it is ok mah!!
within safety SOP mah....!!
If u wear gloves....touch here & touch there also dangerous mah...!!
2021-01-09 17:26
Wasting time lockdown loh...!!
Remember b4 u can control covid19, u need to conduct mass screening thus resulted in uncovering mass cases loh!!
Pls do not simply Panic loh!
"Actually, a widespread MCO can be avoided by instituting a Targeted Enhanced Movement Control Order (TEMCO) in affected areas by mass screening and testing and isolating those with contacts for 48 hours."
He said a national network of contact tracers has to be set up immediately, with the help of community leaders.
Dr Lee said the special recruits can be trained by Public Health officers to ensure that contacts adhere to quarantine regulations and follow SOPs. They can also help in mass testing and the like.
We are in the middle of vaccine mah...!!
The MOH should just speed up the vaccine inoculation approval loh...!
If spore dare to jab PM LEE with covid19 pfizer vaccine, that means safe mah..!!
Msia authority should not waste time, take the cue from Spore n start inoculate with pfizer vaccine quickly mah!
2021-01-09 18:16
Should be good mah...better than nothing now loh!
Posted by henry888 > Jan 9, 2021 6:18 PM | Report Abuse
It is too early to say bad or not..It all depends on efficacy of the vaccine..
2021-01-09 18:23
To those that said preferable for doc/nurse to not wear gloves when administering the vax jab bcoz scared of syringe slipping, OMG
Surgeons holding scalpels and performing surgeries MUST wear gloves (and face mask etc etc) and sanitise before and after surgery! Scalpels! Not a syringe!
Ludicrous comments by some here, OMG
2021-01-09 18:48
“No need mah” is why we have the 3rd wave
I don’t own any glove stocks in case some are thinking. But if any frontliner touch me w/o wearing gloves and face mask, I will leave
2021-01-09 19:40
stockraider
If spore dare to jab PM LEE with covid19 pfizer vaccine, that means safe mah..!!
Msia authority should not waste time, take the cue from Spore n start inoculate with pfizer vaccine quickly mah!
2021-01-09 16:32