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SINGAPORE: Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat received his first dose of the Pfizer-BionTech vaccine on Wednesday (January 20).
In a Facebook post, the 59-year-old said that before the procedure, he first sat down for a consultation with Dr. Shawn Vasoo, clinical director of the National Center for Infectious Diseases (NCID).
“Before getting the vaccine, I sat down with Dr. Shawn Vasoo to review the medical questionnaire.
READ: Go only to reliable sources for information on vaccines, says head of the COVID-19 vaccination committee
“The vaccine is safe and effective, even for stroke patients like myself,” said Heng, who is also Singapore’s Minister of Finance and an East Coast Member of Parliament for GRC.
Vice Premier Heng Swee Keat (center) with NCID Clinical Director Dr. Shawn Vasoo (left) and Director of Nursing Imrana Banu. (Photo: MCI / LH Goh)
Heng collapsed during a cabinet meeting in 2016 and was admitted to Tan Tock Seng Hospital, where it was discovered that he had suffered a stroke due to an aneurysm.
“During my conversation on the East Coast with residents about Phase 3 on Sunday, vaccination was understandably the main topic of discussion,” Heng said.
READ: 37,000 Frontline Aviation and Maritime Workers to Be Prioritized for COVID-19 Vaccine
“We are progressively implementing our national vaccination strategy in the coming weeks and months.
“I highly recommend that you accept it when it is available to you. This will not only protect you, but also your loved ones and our community.”
Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat met with NCID investigators after his vaccination on January 20, 2021 (Photo: MCI / LH Goh)
Singapore started its COVID-19 vaccination campaign in December. Senior Nurse Sarah Lim was the first to receive her vaccine, followed by 39 other health workers at NCID.
Since then, vaccines have been administered at this stage of the vaccination campaign to frontline healthcare workers, including those on the local team, as well as frontline aviation and maritime workers.
READ: Get vaccinated against COVID-19 when you can, instead of waiting for a specific brand, says Lawrence Wong
The COVID-19 Vaccination Expert Committee also recommended that around 5 percent of the vaccine stocks available at any given time be reserved for those that are “critically important to the functioning of Singapore”, to ensure that the The country’s water, utilities and other essential services at the national level are not interrupted.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, as well as COVID-19 task force co-chairs Gan Kim Yong and Lawrence Wong, have received their first doses.
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