Vaccine passport up for discussion next week, says DDC
The option of vaccine passports and the possibility of changing the mandatory quarantine period will be tabled at the March 8 meeting of the National Communicable Diseases Council.
Dr Opas Karnkawinpong, director-general of the Department of Disease Control, said Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has instructed health authorities to provide people who have completed their Covid-19 vaccination course with certificates for overseas travel.
As for people wanting to enter Thailand with a vaccination certificate, Dr Opas said he was still uncertain about the issue because the World Health Organisation has yet to establish criteria for a vaccine passport. Hence, he said, international negotiations and mutual agreements may need to be completed first.
This option will also be added to the agenda of the March 8 meeting of the council, which is chaired by Anutin.
“The mandatory quarantine measures in Thailand will be based on the incubation period of the virus, which cannot be determined yet as nobody knows how the vaccine will affect it. The incubation period can be longer or shorter, as vaccines currently do not provide 100-per-cent protection. This will also be discussed at the meeting,” Dr Opas added.