Govt urged to speed up booster dose following WHO recommendation
A leading Thai pulmonologist on Friday called on the government to speed up administering booster dose of the Covid-19 vaccine after the World Health Organization reversed its previous stand on use of boosters.
Dr Manoon Leechawengwongs, a pulmonary disease expert at Vichaiyut Hospital, said on his Facebook page on Friday that the WHO had updated its vaccine guidance on Tuesday and has recommended the administering of booster shots.
The WHO had earlier spoken out against Covid-19 booster shots so that there would be enough vaccines available for third world countries.
Manoon said the WHO had done an about-turn and has urged all countries to speed up administering booster doses to reduce deaths and severe symptoms.
Manoon said the WHO update on Tuesday suggested that people in risk groups, such as the elderly, pregnant women, and people with comorbidities, should be given booster jabs to reduce severe symptoms and deaths three months after they have received Covid-19 vaccines.
He added that only 7 per cent of pregnant women had received a booster dose and up to 50 per cent of them had not been vaccinated at all.
He said the government should speed up Covid-19 inoculation of risk groups to cover at least 90 per cent of them and give booster doses to at least 60 per cent of them.
Manoon added that the booster doses should be mRNA vaccines that have higher efficacy and are safer. He said the country now has enough mRNA vaccines for Thais.
