Vaccine strategy to focus on inoculating senior citizens, high-risk cases
The Ministry of Public Health has adjusted its Covid-19 vaccine distribution plan, focusing on vaccinating elders and patients with seven high-risk diseases.
The government said around 13 million doses of vaccine were purchased since July 19 – 8 million AstraZeneca and 5 million Sinovac.
The main focus groups will be inoculated with these vaccines until August 31.
The ministry revealed that between February 28 and July 17, around 3.44 million people had received complete doses of Covid-19 vaccine -- around 6.9 per cent of the 50 million target.
Of the numbers, 1,709,095 were the average population, while 146,930 were elders.
The Department of Disease Control (DDC) stated on July 8 that the infection and death rates of elders had increased at the end of June.
In July, most of the Covid-19 vaccine stock will be provided to elderly people, in order to reduce the severity of the illness and risk of death, DDC director-general Sophon Iamsirithaworn added.
Sophon said that Thailand's elderly population was over 13 million -- 1.8 million in Bangkok and 11.8 million in other provinces.
He said that 10 per cent of elders all over the country had already been vaccinated, while old people in Bangkok needed to be quickly inoculated.
According to the DDC, as of July 14 there had been 2,840 deaths from Covid-19 in the present outbreak. Of the total, 90 per cent, or 2,556, were patients with underlying diseases or risk factors, such as obesity, pregnancy or senility.