Singapore officials said that starting next month, they will stop paying medical expenses for those who choose not to receive the COVID-19 vaccine because the severe epidemic has put pressure on the domestic healthcare system.
Singapore is facing its worst outbreak since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Approximately 2,000 to 3,000 confirmed cases and a small number of deaths are reported a day.
The Singapore government has always paid for medical expenses for all nationals and other specific types of residents infected with the disease, but does not include those who are diagnosed immediately after returning from overseas.
The Ministry of Health stated that among the inpatients in need of care in the intensive care unit, the unvaccinated accounted for the overwhelming majority, and this puts a disproportionate pressure on our medical resources. The authorities will charge COVID-19 patients who choose not to be vaccinated from December 8.
Those affected can still use general financial arrangements such as private insurance. As for those who are not eligible for vaccination, such as children under the age of 12 or people with specific medical problems, the cost will continue to be fully paid by the government.
Singapore is one of the countries with the highest vaccine coverage in the world. 85% of the country’s 5.5 million population have been fully vaccinated. The epidemic is not serious, and it has only faced a wave of major epidemics after the invasion of the Delta mutant in recent months.
