Former WP chief Low Thia Khiang urges seniors to get vaccinated
Former Workers' Party (WP) chief Low Thia Khiang has urged seniors to get vaccinated against Covid-19 as soon as possible in order to protect themselves and their families.
Among other concerns, unvaccinated seniors who get the disease could inadvertently pass it to their grandchildren, said Mr Low, who received both doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in April.
The 64-year-old was addressing seniors in both Teochew and Mandarin in a video posted on WP's Facebook page yesterday.
WP secretary-general Pritam Singh, who is Leader of the Opposition, kicked off the video with a message in Mandarin.
The party's efforts add to a series of moves by the Government and the health authorities to get seniors aged 60 and above vaccinated.
As at last Wednesday, about 77 per cent of seniors aged 60 and above had received two doses of Covid-19 vaccine.
Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said on Saturday that about 177,000 seniors had yet to receive their first dose.
Mr Low said the coronavirus has now spread across the world, and it seems unlikely to be eliminated.
"Singapore is prepared to live with Covid-19," he added, in reference to the Government's stance on Covid-19 becoming an endemic disease.
"But it is important to ensure that even if we get Covid-19, our health will not be seriously affected."
He noted that those who have been vaccinated will not have severe symptoms, but those who are not could face higher risks.
UNAWARE
Infected individuals who are vaccinated might accidentally pass on Covid-19 to seniors, as they would be unaware of the infection because of the lack of symptoms, he noted.
"If unvaccinated seniors contract Covid-19, that would be serious," said Mr Low.
In recent weeks, the Government has stepped up efforts to get seniors to go for Covid-19 vaccination. It has sought to make vaccination more accessible as well, through the deployment of mobile vaccination teams.
Late last month, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong urged seniors to get vaccinated, in videos uploaded on Facebook in four different languages. - THE STRAITS TIMES
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