The Department of Disease Control (DDC) will release the first batch of AstraZeneca vaccine for use in the next two to three days. Thailand has authorized the AstraZeneca vaccine for use in people aged over 60, while the Sinovac shot is being used for younger people.
Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said health officials will start administering the AstraZeneca shots immediately, with Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, who is 66, to be the first to receive the vaccine at the Bamrasnaradura Infectious Diseases Institute in Nonthaburi on March 11.
Meanwhile, the minister denied the government was blocking importation of Covid-19 vaccine by the private sector. He said private procurement of vaccine was a good idea, but companies would need to apply for permission and follow the vaccination-monitoring system, including monitoring for side effects for the first 30 minutes after vaccination. (NNT)
