Thailand to inoculate 5.2 mil children against Covid-19

BANGKOK – Thailand plans to vaccinate 5.2 million students aged five to 11 against Covid-19.

Government spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana said Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha has instructed the Education Ministry to explain the need for vaccinations to parents and get their approval to inoculate their children.

“The Education Ministry is expected to open online vaccine registration for children aged five to 11 by the end of this month,” he said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Director of Risk Communication and Health Behaviour Development Bureau of the Disease Control Department, Dr Sumanee Watcharasin said the government had procured the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine for children between the age of five and 11.

She said the vaccine is expected to arrive late this month or early next month.

Last month, Thailand’s Food and Drug Administration approved the use of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine for children between the age of five and 11.

Meanwhile, Dr Sumanee said although Covid-19 cases were detected in school, there is no plan to close schools yet, as effective control measures have been implemented to stem the spread of Covid-19.  

As of Tuesday, 95% of students aged 12 years and above had received their first dose of Covid-19 shots, while 70% have been fully vaccinated. – Bernama, January 13, 2022