Vaccine is now free, safe, widely available, and, as research clearly indicates, very beneficial in Thailand. Thai researcher believes that the government’s Covid-19 vaccination campaign has saved over 490,000 lives over the last two years. This finding is particularly relevant given the introduction of the BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron, more transmissible variants.
According to the latest study from the MRC Centre for Global Infectious Illness Analysis at Imperial College London, international vaccination programs prevented 14.4 million fatalities from Covid-19 between December 8, 2020, and December 8, 2021. In Thailand, immunization initiatives saved around 382,600 lives over that period.
A research team from Mahidol University and Naresuan University led by Associate Professor Dr. Charin Modchang expanded the study and utilized the same mathematical modeling approaches to estimate the number of lives saved due to Thailand’s vaccine rollout. The study revealed that between the time the first vaccine was administered in 2021 and July 3, 2022, 490,000 lives were saved. Thus, half a million people in Thailand would have lost if the Covid vaccines had not been available.
Vaccines, regardless of brand, are effective and safe. The benefits of having the vaccine greatly exceed the significant health risks of this virus and the very low probability of a severe reaction to a vaccine. Dr. Modchang argued that if Thailand accelerates its vaccination pace, the fatality rate from Covid will be similar to that of seasonal flu.
Vaccines are frequently claimed to save lives; however, this is not entirely correct; vaccination saves lives. Vaccines are among the most effective and cost-efficient preventative strategies available. However, vaccines that are not delivered to the people for whom they are intended are ineffective. Vaccine is useless if it remains in the container. As a result, it is critical to have all work together to ensure that groups for whom immunizations are recommended receive a high level of coverage.
It is crucial as well to understand that vaccines do more than only protect the person who gets vaccinated. When enough people are vaccinated, vaccinated people safeguard those around them who may not be able to be vaccinated, such as toddlers. The more people in a community vaccinated and protected against COVID-19, the more difficult it is for this virus to spread and mutate. The pace of Thailand’s vaccination efforts has already saved over half a million lives. Do not end there.
If you have already been immunized, please obtain a booster dosage as soon as you are eligible. Covid-19 vaccines and boosters save lives without a doubt.
Article by Silada Rojratanakiat (NNT)
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