(Photo: Ministry of Communications and Information)
As the COVID-19 vaccination gets underway, PM Lee kept his promise to Singaporeans to be among the first to be vaccinated.
He had said last month that he and his Cabinet colleagues would be getting vaccinated early, to show Singaporeans they believe the vaccine is safe.
(Photo: Ministry of Communications and Information)
The Prime Minister took the Covid-19 vaccine on Friday (Jan 8) morning at Singapore General Hospital.
He was jabbed in his right arm, as he is left-handed, and will return in three weeks for the second dose.
(Photo: Ministry of Communications and Information)
Looking very cheerful, he said, “It’s painless, it’s effective and it’s important.”
“The needle was very fine. You can hardly feel it when it goes in.”
Mr Lee was speaking to reporters after the 30-minute observation period following the jab was up.
(Photo: Ministry of Communications and Information)
“I hope that Singaporeans will take it up as we roll it out,” he said. “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.,” he added.
Administering the vaccine was senior staff nurse Fatimah Mohd Shah, 41.
“I felt happy and honoured to administer the vaccine for PM (Lee),” said Ms Fatimah. “Of course, I was a bit nervous, yes.”
The Covid-19 vaccine is free for all Singaporeans and long-term residents who are currently here.
Urging all Singapore residents to get the vaccine when it is available to them, PM Lee said, “It will make us safer, and it will make you and your loved ones safer too, so please take it when you get it.”
Also vaccinated was the Health Ministry’s director of medical services Kenneth Mak, along with 88 healthcare workers from the Singapore General Hospital (SGH).
(Photo: Ministry of Communications and Information)
Singapore received its first shipment of vaccines on Dec 21, making it the first Asian country to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech product.
More vaccines are expected to arrive in the next few months, including those by American firm Moderna and China’s Sinovac.
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