Door-to-door Covid vaccination push to jab 2 million vulnerable Thais by year-end
Worried by the low rate of Covid-19 vaccination among vulnerable people, the Public Health Ministry wants to jab 2 million Thais in the 608 group by the end of this year.
The 608 group covers people aged 60-plus, those with seven underlying conditions, and women 12 weeks pregnant or more.
Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has ordered local hospitals and village health volunteers to visit high-risk people in communities to give the jabs, focusing on those who have not yet been vaccinated or received a booster shot.
“The 608 group has higher risk of severe symptoms or death if they contract Covid-19. The vaccine will help reduce this risk significantly,” he said on Friday.
“We aim to get at least 2 million people, or 70 per cent of this group, vaccinated by December 31.”
He also urged all health professionals and volunteers to get fully vaccinated with at least one booster to protect themselves and set an example for villagers.
The Public Health Ministry said about 15,000 people per day or half a million per month are now being vaccinated in Thailand.
However, only about 43.4 per cent of the high-risk group are fully vaccinated.
Most of those who have yet to be vaccinated are elderly people who have trouble visiting vaccination units, so health officials and volunteers will go door to door and persuade them to get the jabs for the safety of all family members.
Thailand had administered 143.34 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine as of October 1, according to the Department of Disease Control.
Of these, 57.32 million were first jabs, covering 82.4 per cent of the population, 53.84 million were second jabs (77.4 per cent), and 32.18 million were booster shots (46.3 per cent).
