Not getting vaccinated is like walking into speeding Bangkok traffic: Dr Yong
Leading virologist Dr Yong Poovorawan has warned that people who decide not to get vaccinated against Covid-19 are gambling with their lives.
In a Facebook post on Saturday, Dr Yong said vaccination was voluntary in Thailand, which meant people had to decide for themselves whether to get the jab and which vaccine brand to choose.
People should study the benefits and side effects of available brands in order to make the best decision, he said.
But deciding not to get vaccinated was like inviting an accident by stepping off the pavement into the busy traffic on Silom Road, he added.
Yong said that the at-risk group – seniors aged over 60, people with underlying diseases, and pregnant women – were at risk of being hospitalised with severe symptoms if they contracted Covid-19.
He pointed out that most deaths from Covid-19 are recorded among seniors and people with underlying diseases. This group should get vaccinated to protect themselves against the deadly virus, he added.
High rates of vaccine hesitancy have been recorded among the elderly in Thailand.
Yong said that about 11 billion doses of vaccine have been administered worldwide so far, and there were enough brands to choose from.
