The Public Health Ministry will start vaccinating the general public against Covid-19 around mid-May, when the first lot of the locally manufactured AstraZeneca vaccine will be ready.
Public Health Permanent Secretary Dr Kiattiphum Wongrajit said people can register to get the vaccine via four channels: the “Mor Phrom” (Doctors Ready) Line official account; the mobile Mor Phrom application that will be ready for download on May 1 initially on Android phones; at hospital via telephone, or by contacting public health volunteers nationwide.
He said the government aims to have 50-60% of the population vaccinated as soon as possible to effectively control the outbreak, and will also expand the vaccination units by collaborating with the private sector, which will maximize the number of people getting vaccinated per day from the current rate of 500 per day per hospital.
Those who have been vaccinated will receive both a paper and digital certificate (in the form of a QR code), which they can use to verify their vaccinations. The ministry expects vaccine passports for international travel to be ready in June, once the World Health Organization (WHO) finalizes the all-important criteria. (NNT)
