Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha to be injected with AstraZeneca vaccine tomorrow
Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha is set to be injected with the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine tomorrow. He initially planned to get the vaccine last Friday, but suddenly cancelled due to worries that the vaccine could be linked to an increased risk of blood clots.
The press is barred from attending the formal vaccination event at the Government House, but the process and injection will be live streamed on Facebook.
Thailand’s top virologist, Yong Poovorawan, will be administering the prime minister’s jab. Yong also injected Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul with the Chinese-made Sinovac vaccine last month, kicking off Thailand’s Covid-19 immunisation campaign.
Last Friday, Prayut not only postponed his AstraZeneca vaccination, but the country’s rollout of the vaccine was put on pause after some European countries suspended the use of the vaccine due to a possible increased risk of blood clots. There have only been a few cases of “thromboemoblic events” out of the millions in Europe who got the AstraZeneca jab.
Both the European Medicines Agency and the World Health Organisation have stated that the AstraZeneca vaccine is safe. Thailand’s Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration daily briefing, spokesperson Natapanu Nopakun also said the AstraZeneca vaccine is safe.
“The vaccination programme in Thailand should continue as planned as there is no known correlation between the blood clots and the said vaccines.”
SOURCE: Thai PBS
