CoronaVac is developed by China’s Sinovac Biotech. (Photo: AFP/VNA)Bangkok (VNA) - Thailand kicked off its COVID-19 inoculationcampaign on February 28, with cabinet ministers, health officials and medicalprofessionals among the first in the queue to receive vaccinations.
The first doses of vaccine, developed by China’s SinovacBiotech, were given to Deputy Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, who is alsothe health minister, among others at an infectious diseases institute on theoutskirts of Bangkok.
Anutin Charnvirakuk hoped that thevaccination will result in people being safe from the spread of COVID-19 and itallows Thailand to return to normal as soon as possible.
Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, 66, attended theevent, although his age falls outside the range of 18 to 59 suitable to receiveSinovac’s CoronaVac vaccine, so he did not get it.
Thailand received itsfirst 200,000 doses of the Sinovac vaccine from China, which have been distributed to 13 high-risk provinces. Thailandwill receive additional 1.8 million CoronaVac in March and April.
Thailand isexpected to take delivery of 17,000 doses of AstraZeneca’s vaccine in thesecond week of March.
To date, Thailand has not recorded any new outbreak. Total infections in thenation remain at more than 25,000.
The Thai government said it had a plan to vaccinate half of the nation’s populationthis year./.
VNA
