Bangkok hospitals launch free Covid vaccination drive
Bangkok hospitals will offer free Covid-19 vaccination in November to raise the level of protection against the virus in the capital.
Covid-19 was downgraded to a “communicable disease under surveillance” on October 1 but vaccination is still considered an important defence against illness and death, especially for those in risk groups.
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) is providing free red-cap Pfizer vaccine for children aged six months to four years at all BMA hospitals. Three doses will be administered at intervals of four and then eight weeks.
Elsewhere, the Queen Saovabha Memorial Institute in Bangkok is providing free Pfizer vaccination with second, third, fourth, and fifth doses for adults aged over 18 who register at https://qsmi-booster.kcmh.or.th/. Vaccination is available at the institute Monday to Friday (October 31-November 4).
The Chakri Naruebodindra Medical Institute in Samut Prakan is also offering 30 free Covid-19 jabs per day for children under five on six days in November. The jabs will be administered from 9am to 1.30pm on November 2, 4, 9, 11, 23, 25 and 30.
To be eligible, children must be no younger than six months and no older than 4 years, 11 months and 29 days. To register, visit https://bit.ly/3gNB5AN.
Parents will need to bring their own ID card and their child’s birth certificate and vaccine certificate.
Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said the government aims to administer at least 2 million Covid-19 shots by the end of this year. Anutin wants to get 70 per cent of the 608 group – people aged 60-plus, those with seven underlying conditions, and women 12 weeks pregnant or more – vaccinated.
Separately, the Public Health Ministry announced that Thailand has donated 100,000 doses of Pfizer’s mRNA vaccine for children in Myanmar.
