BANGKOK – Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha will be the first to receive COVID-19 vaccine in Thailand, Deputy Prime Minister and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said.
The prime minister was fit to receive vaccine and should be the first one to do so because he was the national leader, Mr Anutin said.
According to Mr Anutin, the Department of Disease Control confirmed Gen Prayut could be inoculated after conducting a checkup on him. The department did not do any favor for the prime minister but used internationally recognized practices to check him.
Gen Prayut will receive vaccine of AstraZeneca which does not have any limitation on recipients’ age.
After the first jab, the prime minister can work but will wait for about six weeks before having the second jab. The interval for Sinovac vaccine takes 14-28 days.
Thailand is likely to start COVID-19 vaccination on Feb 27. On the day, Gen Prayut will receive AstraZeneca vaccine and then Mr Anutin will have Sinovac vaccine of China at the Bamrasnaradura Infectious Disease Institute in Nonthaburi province. (TNA)
