Thailand to offer mRNA booster shots to medical frontliners
Thailand will offer Pfizer-BioNTetch Messenger RNA (mRNA) booster shots to its medical personnel.
Medical frontliners and health workers in the kingdom were mostly administered the Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine from China which some health experts said might be less effective against the contagious Delta variant...
Thailand will offer Pfizer-BioNTetch Messenger RNA (mRNA) booster shots to its medical personnel.
Medical frontliners and health workers in the kingdom were mostly administered the Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine from China which some health experts said might be less effective against the contagious Delta variant.
“Pfizer donated from the US would be allocated to medical personnel and health workers as a booster dose,” Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) assistant spokesperson Dr Apisamai Srirangsan said at a press conference yesterday.
Earlier, Indonesia too announced that its medical frontliners will be given a booster shot using the Moderna vaccine.
On a related note, Foreign Affairs Ministry deputy spokesperson Natapanu Nopakun said the CCSA meeting chaired by Prime Minister Prayuth Chan o-cha yesterday approved the plan to distribute 80 percent of the vaccine supply in July for people in the Bangkok Metropolitan Area (BMA).
Priority will be given to adults aged 60 and above, and people with seven underlying conditions within BMA.
“It is to reduce death and severe cases. Statistics show 75 percent of deaths and severe cases are people in this group,” he said.
Natapanu said AstraZeneca donated by Japan and Pfizer by the US would be used for elderly people aged 60 and above and those with seven underlying health conditions, foreigners over 60, diplomats as well as athletes competing overseas.
Meanwhile, Prayuth decided to take a three-month pay cut to save state budget funds for the fight against the pandemic, the Bangkok Post reported.
The report said Prayuth receives 125,590 baht (RM16,000) a month, from a salary of 75,900 baht and an allowance of 50,000 baht.
Prayuth who is also the defence minister does not receive a salary for that post. A cabinet member is allowed to receive a salary from only one position, the highest paid, the report said.
At least 11 cabinet ministers said they will donate their salaries.
- Bernama
