ASEAN Finance Ministers Agree to Enhance Vaccination Efforts in Digital Meeting; Also Discussed Recovery Efforts and Cooperation

2021-04-04 , 2:09 pm

The great dislike for COVID-19 also brings forth the great-liking for one word.

Vaccination.

In fact, we like it so much that around 6,900 people have started to appeal for an earlier vaccination.

This would let people who need to travel for work or study get a good head start.

And with vaccination programmes steadily progressing around the region, efforts to push it further have also been in the talks.

Some people say you can have too much of a good thing, but not this.

On 30 March, finance ministers and central bank governors met at the 7th Asean Finance Ministers’ and Central Bank Governors’ Meeting.

It was hosted by Brunei, who is the current ASEAN chair, and our Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat attended as well.

And the result?

Well, the Straits Times reported that these finance ministers have agreed to step up efforts to roll out vaccinations.

This is to help more borders to reopen safely.

Some With Allergies Can Be Vaccinated

And speaking of the vaccine, did you know that the Ministry of Health has actually relaxed some vaccination measures?

In fact, they actually released a rather detailed infographic on who should and shouldn’t take it.

While most of us should be ok, you should definitely check for any specific conditions or allergies before taking them.

We wouldn’t want any side effects to happen, after all.

Be sure to read MOH’s FAQ on the safety and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccines if you have any more concerns about your condition.

However, vaccines aren’t the only step forward towards a sustainable future.

Ministers agreed to strengthen their digital connectivity, especially for cross-border payments, for economical growth.

Other discussions included how the nations could recover from COVID-19 and better prepare for future crises and get through it as one ASEAN.

In fact, our own Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat made a Facebook post about it.

“Many also highlighted how we can build back differently, with a greater emphasis on sustainability and resilience.”

He ends off by saying that ASEAN must remain united while working with others around the world.

To quote that one song from Toy’s Story, “you’ve got a friend in me (Singapore).”

And, for Singapore, we’ve actually managed to maintain very good inter-country relationships around the world.

While you can read in detail here, some other non-ASEAN countries include the USA and China.

Featured Image: Facebook (Heng Swee Keat)