Singapore — The government ended its program for the unvaccinated on Wednesday (Dec 8), withdrawing free treatment for people who had previously chosen not to receive the Covid-19 vaccine.
According to the Ministry of Health, individuals who are not eligible for vaccination—children under the age of 12 or those who have medical exemptions—will still have their medical expenses covered by the government. Additionally, individuals who have received only a portion of the vaccine series will not be charged until Dec 31 to allow them the opportunity to complete the series.
Beginning Jan 1, the government will cover the cost for Singaporeans (including permanent residents and holders of long-term passes) who are fully vaccinated and have not travelled recently.
In a recent post (Dec 8) on Reddit, a social community network, netizens shared their opinions on the Ministry of Health’s announced decision to discontinue free Covid-19 treatment for unvaccinated patients.
Some netizens appear to support this announcement because it is a reasonable approach. According to them, if an individual chooses not to be vaccinated without a valid reason, they deserve what they get. Additionally, vaccines should be standard worldwide.
One netizen even explained the proportion of people who die from Covid-19 if they are not vaccinated and how the government cannot afford to remain in pandemic emergency mode indefinitely.
Another netizen questioned the state’s policy not to force vaccination outright, even when they are a strict country. Still, another stated that the government did not need to mandate it because people were aware that ‘it wasn’t really optional’.
However, there are still unvaccinated individuals, and one netizen remarked that those not vaccinated are being penalized by being denied free treatment once infected.
On another note, one netizen stated that vaccination is a personal choice.
According to DailyMail’s conversation with the Health Ministry’s spokesperson, hospital expenditures for Covid-19 patients admitted to intensive care units in Singapore can go as high as S$25,000.
However, government healthcare subsidies and the country’s national health insurance program significantly reduce these expenses, with the bill more likely to fall between S$2,000 and S$4,000. /TISG
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‘Singapore has decided to hit the unvaccinated where it hurts most—their wallets’