Bangkok vaccine timetable adjusted due to crowds, lack of social distancing
The vaccination schedule at Bangkok’s Bang Sue station has been adjusted to separate a number of high-risk groups and prevent overcrowding. The Bangkok Post reports that the Department of Medical Services made the change after large numbers arrived to be vaccinated yesterday, making social distancing impossible. The report says a number of people were concerned by the large crowds and, fearing they would become infected while waiting for their vaccine, decided to turn around and go home instead.
Yesterday was the first day vaccination was open to people over the age of 60, women who are at least 12 weeks pregnant, and people who weigh more than 100 kilograms. Anyone in those groups could walk in to avail of a shot of the AstraZeneca vaccine. However, due to the large number of people that turned up, separate time slots are now being allocated to different groups.
People over the age of 60 will be vaccinated between the hours of 9am and 5pm, while pregnant women and people who weigh more than 100 kilograms will be vaccinated between 1pm and 5pm. The vaccination programme for the 3 groups will run until the end of the month.
According to Pongsakorn Kwanmuang from the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, officials plan to vaccinate at least 50% of the elderly population in the capital by the end of this month and has expanded inoculation to people living in high-risk areas too. The Bangkok Post reports that elderly people can register via the Thai Ruam Jai programme, but the BMA’s Comprehensive Covid-19 Response teams are also doing home visits to vaccinate people and carry out Covid-19 antigen tests.
According to Pongsakorn, there are currently no plans to combine the AstraZeneca and Sinovac vaccines and healthcare workers will continue to administer AstraZeneca as part of the current programme. Asked about when infections might peak in the capital, he says this will depend on both the rate of vaccination and how effective lockdown measures are.
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SOURCE: Bangkok Post
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