Residents of high-tourism, infection-prone provinces to get 4th jab
The Ministry of Public Health is working on a plan for fully vaccinated people who have already received a booster shot of Covid-19 vaccine to keep their immunity high, especially against the Omicron variant, a news source said on Monday.
“The ministry has been advised by the Centre of Covid-19 Situation Administration [CCSA] to draw up plan for giving a fourth shot of the Covid-19 vaccine from February,” said the source. “Priority will be given to people in high-tourism provinces and areas with high infection rate.”
Based on these criteria, it is likely that the residents of Phuket, Surat Thani, Krabi and Phang Nga, the four provinces currently accepting foreign visitors, will get the fourth shot first.
Six other provinces fit the criteria of being tourism pilot areas and/or having high infection rate. They are Bangkok, Chonburi, Samut Prakan, Nonthaburi, Kanchanaburi and Pathum Thani.
“The ministry has also suggested that people who have received two doses of Sinovac, followed by an AstraZeneca booster shot, should get an AstraZeneca dose as the fourth jab,” said the source. “People who have got two doses of AstraZeneca, followed by a Pfizer booster, should get the Pfizer vaccine as their fourth shot.”