AstraZeneca Covid vaccine will be Thailand’s ‘principal’ shot, says health minister

A health worker holds a box of the AstraZeneneca vaccine at the Bamrasnaradura Infectious Diseases Institute in Nonthaburi province on the outskirts of Bangkok.

Chaiwat Subprasom | SOPA Images | LightRocket via Getty Images

The coronavirus shot developed by AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford will be Thailand’s “principal vaccine” as the country seeks to revive its crucial tourism sector, the Thai public health minister told CNBC on Monday.  

Renewed safety concerns around the AstraZeneca-Oxford shot led countries including Germany and the Netherlands to halt the use of the vaccine for people under 60.

Before those latest moves, several countries — including Thailand — suspended the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine following reports of blood clots in some people who received the shot. But many lifted their suspensions after the World Health Organization said its review of available data showed the vaccine’s benefits outweighing any risks.

In Thailand, more than 150,000 people have been inoculated with the AstraZeneca vaccine and the percentage of people who developed side effects “is considered very low,” said Anutin Charnvirakul, the country’s deputy prime minister and public health minister.

Anutin told CNBC’s “Street Signs Asia” that Thailand is awaiting further deliveries of AstraZeneca’s vaccine, which are expected around June. In addition to the AstraZeneca vaccine, Thailand also uses one developed by China’s Sinovac Biotech, said the minister.

Since end-February, nearly 250,000 people in Thailand have received Covid vaccines, said Anutin.

Attracting foreign visitors

Thailand is ramping up efforts to restart its tourism industry, including rolling out vaccines in “significant” numbers in popular tourist destinations such as Phuket and Koh Samui, said Anutin.

“We want to make sure that our people are safe, that is our first priority. So once our people are safe, we believe that our guests, namely tourists or any business people, would definitely come to visit our country,” said the minister.  

To attract visitors, Thailand has shortened the quarantine period for foreigners arriving into the country starting this month. The country is also aiming to waive quarantine requirements for vaccinated foreign visitors to its biggest holiday island Phuket.  

Speak Your Mind

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Get in Touch

350FansLike
100FollowersFollow
281FollowersFollow
150FollowersFollow

Recommend for You

Oh hi there 👋
It’s nice to meet you.

Subscribe and receive our weekly newsletter packed with awesome articles that really matters to you!

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.

You might also like

Browns Lose Linebacker, Leader by Releasing Christian Kirksey

PITTSBURGH, PA - DECEMBER 1, 2019: Outside linebacker...

How This 25-Year-Old Entrepreneur Pulled Off a Coronavirus Pivot...

When the Coronavirus struck the U.S. in January, 25-year-old Dakota Hendrickson was just weeks...

Grits Maker Geechie Boy Mill Changes Its Name Amid...

Geechie Boy Mill, a South Carolina maker of heirloom grits and other products, is...

George Floyd’s Death Ruled A Homicide By Medical Examiner

TOPLINE George Floyd’s death was a homicide, the county medical examiner has ruled, saying...