175 new cases of Covid-19, 167 local- Covid Update

While news has been focused on today’s arrival of China’s Sinovac vaccine, it’s now being reported that 117,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine will also arrive in Thailand today. The vaccines will be distributed to 13 provinces, including 9 that are considered the “highest risk” of Covid-19 infection as well as 4 popular tourist destinations that are of “economic significance” such as Phuket and Chiang Mai.

The delivery of the Sinovac vaccine was widely publicised in Thailand. The public health minister posted photos of the packages throughout the delivery process. The government even held a special event called “Covid vaccines, restoring the Thai smile” where they formally accepted the first delivery of Covid-19 vaccines in Thailand. The Bangkok Post says officials did not specify how many Sinovac doses were shipped, but in earlier reports, the government said they planned for 200,000 doses in the first round.

PM Prayut Chan-o-cha will be injected with the AstraZeneca vaccine rather than the Sinovac vaccine due to his age. A doctor recently warned that the Sinovac vaccine’s efficacy and safety has not been tested in those over 60. Prayut says the 200,000 doses from Sinovac will be given to priority groups within the next 3 days. In previous reports, people over 60 years old in high risk areas were included in the first phase of injections.

Prayut will be the first in the country to get injected with the Covid-19 vaccine, according to Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul.

“It’s important that Gen Prayut takes the first Covid-19 vaccine shot because he is the country’s leader. There will naturally be a risk assessment process by the Department of Disease Control, which is an internationally accepted standard procedure.”

SOURCE: Bangkok Post

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The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration says 4 of Thailand’s major tourism destinations are to be prioritised in the distribution of vaccines. They are Phuket, Chon Buri, Chiang Mai and Surat Thani. In addition, a further 9 provinces with significant infection numbers are being prioritised in the rollout of the first vaccine doses arriving in the Kingdom today.

Taweesin Visanuyothin from the CCSA says 70,000 doses will go to the hard-hit “highest control” area of Samut Sakhon, where Thailand’s second outbreak began late last year. 8,000 doses are being set aside for medical officials in the central province, along with 6,000 for frontline healthcare workers, 46,000 doses for seriously ill patients, and 10,000 doses for migrant workers and local residents.

Another 105,000 doses will be distributed to similar groups in Bangkok, in the central provinces of Pathum Thani, Nonthaburi, Nakhon Pathom, Samut Songkram and Samut Prakan, and in the western province of Ratchaburi and the Mae Sot district of Tak.

The Pattaya News reports that 14,700 doses will be sent to 4 major tourist destinations, with 4,700 going to the eastern province of Chon Buri, 4,000 to the southern island of Phuket, 3,500 to the northern province of Chiang Mai, and 2,500 going to the island of Samui in the southern province of Surat Thani.

In the case of the vaccines going to tourism spots, it is not yet known which groups will be vaccinated first, with that decision being left to the Provincial Communicable Disease Committee and other related authorities.

Meanwhile, the CCSA says other plans for the 4 tourism destinations are being considered, including the possibility of “area quarantine”, which would allow vaccinated foreign arrivals to remain within certain boundaries during their quarantine period. The Tourism Authority of Thailand has been pushing for a vaccine passport policy for vaccinated visitors, while PM Prayut Chan-o-cha says the government may consider lifting quarantine restrictions for vaccinated tourists.

SOURCE: The Pattaya News

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PM Prayut Chan-o-cha was initially first in line for China’s Sinovac vaccine, which just arrived in Thailand today, but Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul now says the the prime minister will be getting the AstraZeneca vaccine. Apparently, 66 year old Prayut is too old to get the Chinese-made vaccine.

“It’s important that General Prayut take the first Covid-19 vaccine shot because he is the country’s leader. There will naturally be a risk-assessment process by the Disease Control Department, which is an internationally accepted standard procedure. But it’s not discrimination.”

Prayut had been expected to take the Chinese Sinovac vaccine, but it has only been tested on people in the 18 – 59 age group. The vaccine’s efficacy and safety have not been tested in those over 60. Anutin says Prayut is too old and will instead be inoculated with the AstraZeneca jab.

“Prayut will receive the vaccine with no age restrictions – AstraZeneca. The director of the National Vaccine Institute has procured them. The date has not been set yet for the shot, but the prime minister will be able to perform his duty normally after taking it.”

According to a Bangkok Post report, Anutin confirmed yesterday that 117,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine will arrive in the Kingdom today, alongside an unknown number of Sinovac doses. It had been thought that only the Chinese vaccine was on its way.

Anutin says the dosage intervals for the Sinovac vaccine are 14 – 28 days and 6 weeks for AstraZeneca. It’s understood inoculation will be carried out at medical facilities, with recipients having to wait 30 minutes to ensure there are no adverse side-effects.

Siam Bioscience has signed a technology transfer agreement with AstraZeneca to produce the vaccine locally. 26 million doses are expected to be available between June and August, with a further 35 million made available between September and December.

SOURCE: Bangkok Post

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