Ministry aims to vaccinate 50 per cent of population by October

Dr Opas Karnkawinpong, director-general of the Department of Disease Control (DDC), revealed data on vaccination against Covid-19 from February 28 to September 16. Thailand achieved a total of 43,342,103 doses -- 14,285,995 second dose and 28,436,015 first dose.

The DDC aims to hasten vaccination to reach 50 per cent of the population by October-end.

"The Ministry of Public Health has prepared a plan to vaccinate at least a million people on September 24, which is marked as Mahidol Day, to show respect to HRH Prince Mahitala Dhibesra Adulyadej Vikrom, the father of modern Thai medicine.

"We would like to invite people who have not been injected to hurriedly get vaccination services at a service centre near your home,” said Dr Opas.

Currently, four vaccines are used in Thailand -- Sinovac, Sinopharm, AstraZeneca and Pfizer -- which have been approved for efficacy and safety by the World Health Organization and the Food and Drug Administration.

The third booster dose will be given to those who have received two doses of the Sinovac vaccine from March to May, as immunity begins to decrease 3-6 months after receiving injections.

People will be notified by SMS messages via the Doctor Ready application, or people can register at the same hospital and receive services at the central vaccination point in each designated area without cost, such as in Bangkok at Bang Sue Grand Station.