CCSA announces vaccination goals for October; 50% inoculated

Today the Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration released a statement outlining the vaccination goals for Thailand in October in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. Some of their list items seem to contradict each other, with the CCSA vaccination plan calling to inoculate people 50% and then 70% and then “fully”.

The main intention of Thailand’s vaccine efforts is to vaccinate at least 50% of the population in each province. Under this goal, the CCSA lists the aim to cover at least 70% of the people in each amphur, though if each of the divisions that make up a province is 70% vaccinated it would follow that the entire province is 70% vaccinated.

The CCSA also described a plan for Covid-Free Areas, regions within each amphur where the residents of the area are 80% vaccinated or more, reducing the risk of outbreaks and severe infections.

As usual, the vaccination process will prioritise the elderly and pregnant women, as well as those who suffer one of the 7 underlying diseases that the CCSA has designated as high risk for Covid-19 infection. Those 7 diseases are: heart disease, lung disease, chronic kidney disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, and obesity.

They also included a caveat catch-all in their goals list to include prioritisation for any other groups designated by the Provincial Communicable Disease Committee.

Their next item on their goal list is the “fully vaccinate the public” which begs the question of if the goals are to vaccinated 50% of the population and 100% of the public, who is not counted as part of the public? Thailand has struggled with Covid-19 outbreaks in prisons and in factory and construction work camps; perhaps these are not included.

The plan also reconfirmed the CCSA remains focused on the vaccination people living in the most important economic zones in Thailand to attempt to curb outbreaks and the further spread of Covid-19.

The CCSA also plans on working on vaccination for those over the age of 12 will new approvals from Thailand’s Food and Drug Administration for Pfizer and now Moderna for use on teenagers. A booster shot rollout program will also be ramped up to provide an AstraZeneca vaccine to those who have already received 2 doses of Sinovac.

SOURCE: PR Thai Government