Senior staff nurse Sarah Lim in Singapore receives the shot (Photo: straitstimes.com)
Hanoi (VNA) – Senior staff nurse Sarah Lim has become the first person in Singaporeto receive the COVID-19 vaccine deveꦉloped by Pfizer-BioNTech.
This made Singaporeamong the first nations in Asia to roll out a vaccination programme againstCOVID-19. The 46-year-old nurseworking at the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID) is among 30 staffat the centre receiving the vaccination. They will return forthe second dose of the vaccine on January 20. Singapore is the firstcountry in Asia to approve the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. It has alsosigned advance purchase agreements and made early down payments on severalother vaccine candidates, including those being developed by US’s Moderna and China-basedSinovac. It expects to haveenough vaccine doses for all 5.7 million people by the third quarter of 2021. Prime Minister ofSingapore Lee Hsien Loong said he and his colleagues would be among the earlyrecipients of the shots. Meanwhile, IndonesianMinister of Health Budi Sadikin said that the country will secure sufficientvaccine for 181.5 million people next year. Indonesia has bought125 million doses of vaccine developed by Sinovac and 130 million others by Novavaxof the US. In addition, it isunder talks for the purchase of 100 million doses each of AstraZeneca andPfizer/BioNTech. The country is workingto obtain up to 100 million doses via COVAX, a WHO-initiated global initiativeaimed at providing countries worldwide equitable access to safe and effectivevaccines, once they are licensed and approved./.
Many Southeast Asian countries have taken various measures to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus since the number of infections have increased in the nations recently.
The first human trial of COVID-19 vaccine Nanocovax began in Vietnam on December 17 with the first three volunteers. After 72 hours, they are in good health condition.
The tax adjustment supports the Malaysian Government’s strategy to reduce reliance on foreign food supply chains and to assist domestic farmers, a finance official has said.
The proposed venue is located in the Chatuchak area of Bangkok, featuring eight public sites, including Krungthep Aphiwat Central Terminal and several nearby parks.
Connectivity is expected to improve further with the completion of the fifth Laos–Thailand Friendship Bridge by the end of 2025, facilitating logistics and agricultural exports to Vietnam, Thailand, and China.
Two naval gunboats intercepted a fishing vessel carrying 1.5 tonnes of methamphetamine hydrochloride off the coast of the main island of Luzon just before dawn, in a joint operation with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.
In the today context of socio-economic development and growth, the professionalism of Vietnam’s revolutionary journalists continues to rise, guided by exemplary mastery of new information technologies and the modernisation of their founding principles to preserve the enduring values of revolutionary journalism.
Thai Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce Vuttikrai Leewiraphan Thailand's formal proposal will be substantial enough for the US to consider further detailed negotiations. He hoped for a tariff rate not exceeding 10% and suggested that the US might extend the negotiation period if an agreement is not reached by the July 8 deadline.
Organised by the Ministry of Culture and the Association of Thai Silk & Culture Promotions, the event honors Her Majesty the Queen on her 47th birthday anniversary and promotes Thai craftsmanship on an international stage.
Prensa Latina's recent article on Vietnam’s assurance of smooth and effective transition to a leaner structure highlighted Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s latest directions on implementing 28 resolutions regarding the decentralisation and delegation of authority.
The lab focuses on four key thematic areas: energy transition and green innovation, sustainable agriculture, circular economy and sustainable cities, and nature-based solutions and biodiversity.
The key content of the document titled "Accelerating Innovative Strategies: Addressing the OOSCY Challenges" will be refined further in a seminar preceding the 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur this October.
This follows Telegram’s serious failure to address the content that has been repeatedly reported to them, despite various efforts of negotiation and cooperation made by MCMC, it said.
Efforts to empower women must transcend dialogue and translate into concrete commitments, including corporate pledges and government partnerships, according to the spouse of Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
The forum featured two in-depth discussion sessions, engaging representatives from governments, think tanks, and businesses from both ASEAN and China, on how to forge closer ties for a common future.
The new FIFA Hub in Jakarta will not only support football development in Indonesia but also serve as a coordination centre for 21 football associations across Southeast and East Asia.
Minister Counselor Nguyen Hoang Nguyen reaffirmed Vietnam’s principled and consistent stance on the Palestine issue, calling for an immediate and lasting ceasefire across the entire Gaza Strip.
PM Anwar Ibrahim affirmed the determination of Malaysia, as ASEAN Chair for 2025, to utilise all viable regional mechanisms of the bloc and work with partners to de-escalate violence and restore a peace process led by Myanmar.
Talking to the Vietnam News Agency on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Vietnam’s Revolutionary Press Day (June 21, 1925–2025), Nikulina, who is also a veteran journalist of Russia’s Sputnik News, emphasised the vital role of mainstream journalism in defending the truth and maintaining public trust.
The Ministry of Commerce reported that imports also rose 18% to 29.9 billion USD during the same period, resulting in a trade surplus of 1.1 billion USD. In May alone, Thailand posted a 4.6 billion USD trade surplus with the US and a 4.1 billion USD trade deficit with China.
The World Bank will provide a 2.1 billion USD financing package for Indonesia, focusing oncreating jobs, stimulating economic growth, and enhancing access to clean energy across the country.
Senior staff nurse Sarah Lim in Singapore receives the shot (Photo: straitstimes.com) 
