Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong received his first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine on 8 January, at the start of a nationwide drive to vaccinate staff across various public healthcare institutions.

PM Lee receiving the COVID-19 vaccine at Singapore General Hospital on Jan 8, 2021. (Photo: Singaporean Ministry of Communications and Information)

The PM, the first member of Singapore's Cabinet to get the shot, was at SGH to observe the begin of inoculations for healthcare workers, and said he took the opportunity to get his own vaccine.

Believing the vaccine is effective and important, the PM hopes Singaporeans will take it up as it is rolled out.

Singapore received its first shipment of vaccines on 21 December, making it the first Asian country to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech product.

Earlier, a small-scale test run took place at the country’s National Centre for Infectious Diseases, where 40 employees received their jabs on 30 December, 2020.

Vaccinations for the elderly and those at greater risk of severe COVID-19 will start in February, beginning with seniors aged 70 and above. Vaccinations will be free for all Singaporeans and long-term residents in Singapore.

Meanwhile, in Malaysia, the Government has ordered employers to provide quarantine spaces and bear the cost of administering COVID-19 vaccines as well as screenings for their foreign labourers.

In Thailand, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration has planned to set up field hospitals in the capital that can accomodate 1,700 COVID-19 patients.

Source: VNA