Vaccinations Will Start In Ang Mo Kio & Tanjong Pagar, Extended To All Seniors In S’pore From Mid-Feb
Since it was revealed that Singapore would be giving out free Covid-19 vaccines, many Singaporeans have already been progressively given the jab.
From healthcare workers to aviation-sector personnel and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong himself, our news feeds were full of images of people getting vaccinated.
Now, it’s the turn of the most vulnerable members of our society – senior citizens. The 1st batch of seniors aged 70 and above will get their jabs on 27 Jan.
Knowing that they may not be well-versed in social media, the seniors will receive personalised letters inviting them to make an appointment for vaccination.
Pilot to be conducted in AMK & Tanjong Pagar
In a press release on Friday (22 Jan), the Ministry of Health (MOH) said that it would need to iron out the operational process of vaccinating all seniors in Singapore.
Thus, it will conduct pilots in 2 housing estates: Ang Mo Kio and Tanjong Pagar.
They were chosen as larger numbers of seniors live there, the ministry said.
At a press conference, Health Minister Gan Kim Yong said that between 5,000-10,000 seniors in each estate will be invited to get the vaccine, reported The Straits Times (ST).
That’s between 10,000-20,000 seniors in total will literally get their first shot at the vaccine.
2 of the vaccination centres will be Teck Ghee Community Club and Tanjong Pagar Community Club. They’ll be ready by 1 Feb.
Seniors across island to get vaccinated from mid-Feb
Once the issues are ironed out, the vaccinations will be extended to all seniors in Singapore from mid-Feb.
MOH urged the public to be patient and supportive as the jabs are progressively rolled out.
Personalised letters will be sent to seniors
Though the Government has advised us to get vaccinated when we can, there may be some people who tend to drag their feet in this matter.
You know how some people are sarcastically asked whether they need a written invitation to do something?
Perhaps with that in mind, MOH will do just that – send a written invitation by mail to seniors when it’s their turn.
The letter will also be personalised – meaning it will be addressed to their names – so there’s no denying that it’s meant for them.
Upon receiving the invitation, seniors can either book an appointment online or visit certain Community Centres to book one in person.
For seniors in Ang Mo Kio and Tanjong Pagar, they’ll be able to book their appointments from 25 Jan, Mr Gan said.
Besides the letters, People’s Association community volunteers and Silver Generation Ambassadors will also be going from door-to-door, and be present at grassroots events.
They’ll help answer seniors’ queries and can even help them book an appointment.
Centres to be conveniently located
For convenience, more vaccination centres will be set up over the next few weeks, MOH said.
They will be located in high population catchment areas, and/or along public transport routes.
This will ensure there’ll be a centre nearby their homes, so the seniors don’t have to travel too far.
As they get vaccinated, seniors will get information sheets with details on the vaccine and the vaccination process. They can also call MOH at 1800-333-9999 for more assistance.
Protecting our weakest members
Now that our vaccination exercise is in full swing, we’re glad that Singapore has chosen to protect our seniors first.
It’s been said that the measure of a civilization is how it treats its weakest members.
By prioritising our seniors, we’re also ensuring that there’s no widespread outbreak in places like nursing homes and our fatalities remain low.
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Featured image adapted from Facebook.
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