Thai Government Committed To Its 10 Million Vaccination Promise.

The Department of Disease Control says that it has sufficient stocks to give 10 million doses of AstraZeneca and Sinovac to residents of Bangkok and nearby provinces every month. Opas Karnkawinpong noted that the government would accelerate vaccination efforts in high-infection regions after almost completing its original goal of inoculating healthcare personnel.

Following that, people with chronic health conditions will get their vaccinations since they have a 70% greater risk of dying from infection than healthy adults. After that, Bangkok and its surrounding regions with high rates of infection will be prioritized.

When inquired how much AstraZeneca the government currently has on hand, Dr. Opas said that the government is considering alternative brands with an outstanding record and had just ordered Pfizer. Regarding the Sinovac vaccine, he mentioned that the government agreed that there was proof that Sinovac might reduce severe symptoms.

Sinovac had lately come under criticism when evidence surfaced of individuals receiving both doses but still contracting the infection. Dr. Opas also said yesterday at a media conference that using a combination of vaccines may help enhance protection against new variants of the virus.

He added that immunity might be acquired 2 weeks after taking mixed doses for a month. The government believes cross-vaccination would maximize its existing resources and give 5 million Sinovac and 6 million AstraZeneca doses each month. The administration has come under fire after reports of individuals infected with COVID-19 after receiving the full dose of the Sinovac vaccine.

However, a recent survey conducted by Suan Dusit Rajabhat University revealed that most respondents believe the COVID-19 situation is critical and would take at least 2 years to resolve. The survey was made online among 1,702 individuals countrywide from July 5 to 15, while infection and mortality rates continued to rise, but vaccination rates remained low.

Concerning the gravity of the COVID-19 issue, 60.9 percent said it was very grave, 24.1 percent believed it was severe, and 14.95 percent believed it was pretty serious. 36.7 percent of respondents believed it would need more than 2 years for the kingdom to recover; 25.9 percent believed it would take 2 years; 27.6 percent believed it would take one year, and 9.7 percent believed it would take six months.

Source: Phuket News