Thailand’s 2021 vaccination goal
Earlier this month, Thailand officially began its mass vaccination programme using two vaccines: AstraZeneca and Sinovac.
Yesterday, the administration assured the World Health Organisation (WHO) that the nation plans to vaccinate at least 70% of the population by the end of 2021 using the two aforementioned Covid-19 vaccines. The announcement coincided with the arrival of two million doses of Sinovac from China.
Let’s see what plans the government has in store for Thailand’s vaccination programme.
More on Thailand’s mass vaccination programme:
- BKK residents can register for Covid-19 vaccine at 7/11
- Elders can sign up for Covid-19 jab directly at 100 hospitals
- Vaccine appointments made through “Thai Ruam Jai” postponed
Thailand aims to vaccinate at least 50 million people by 2021
Thailand requires 100 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines to achieve their target of vaccinating 70% of their population by the end of this year. The country hopes to achieve this goal by the end of 2021 using 10-15 million doses of Sinovac and 61 million doses of Thai-produced AstraZeneca, said Dr. Narkorn Premsri, Director of the National Vaccine Institute in a WHO conference call on 23rd June 2021.
The WHO concurs with Thailand’s end of year goal and supports it, as per Bangkok Post. It’s projected that the plan will be a major step in improving the country’s economy, and will reduce the risks from future spreads of Covid-19 variants.
Everyone in Thailand, including foreign residents will receive a Covid-19 vaccine, said Dr. Sopon Iamsirithavorn, Director of the Division of Communicable Diseases at the Ministry of Public Health.
Director of the National Health Security Office (NHSO), Dr. Jadej Thammatach-aree further noted that the Thai government has already prepared funds to compensate those who experience negative side effects from Covid-19 vaccines.
Two million doses of Sinovac arrive in Thailand
With Sinovac being one of two vaccines used by the government in the mass inoculation scheme, the administration continues to import more doses of the jab. Two million doses of Sinovac arrived in Thailand yesterday 23rd June 2021, according to the Chinese Embassy in Bangkok’s Facebook page.
Presently, Thailand has received a total of 10.5 million doses of the vaccine.
The Thai government has also mentioned plans to import other foreign vaccines like Pfizer-BioNTech, Johnson & Johnson and Moderna.
Thailand’s 2021 vaccination goal
It’s been over a year since the first time the entire country shut down in hopes of curbing the spread of Covid-19. Since then, Thailand has experienced periods of normalcy as well as spikes in coronavirus transmissions, which has required the population to quickly adapt.
The many ways that Thais have shown resilience in the face of disaster makes us hopeful that the nation will soon overcome other challenges presented by the spread of coronavirus.
To contribute to the fight, the best thing we can do is wash our hands, wear our masks and cooperate with all hygiene measures.
Cover images adapted from: Getty Images via USA Today, Chinese Embassy in BangkokÂ
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