BMA launches walk-in vaccine booster centre near ICONSIAM
Bangkok Metropolitan Administration deputy governor Tavida Kamolvej inspected the newly opened Covid-19 vaccine booster centre on the third floor of the ICS Lifestyle Complex in Klong San district on Tuesday.
The ICS Lifestyle Complex is opposite ICONSIAM shopping mall.
The BMA is opening walk-in vaccine booster centres in cooperation with the private sector to make getting a booster shot more convenient.
The BMA decided to open the walk-in station after learning that about 1,000 people were contracting the Covid-19 virus a day – 10 times the infection rate at the end of March.
The BMA is worried about the high transmission rate and the possible spread of the virus to vulnerable groups, such as the elderly and people with comorbidities, Tavida explained.
The new vaccine booster centre was launched on Monday, ahead of the next school semester, which starts in the middle of this month.
The BMA wants as many Bangkok residents as possible to receive booster doses, she said.
The walk-in centre at ICS has provided a large number of booster doses since it opened on Monday, Tavida said, adding that by Tuesday it had succeeded in reducing service time to within 10 minutes of arrival per person.
She said people had praised the service, saying it is convenient, well-organised and hygienic.
They said the ICS vaccine station helped them avoid long queues at hospitals and provided convenient parking spaces.
Some people who used the service said they followed up by shopping at ICONSIAM, which is across the road.
Tavida said many people preferred the vaccine-booster centre at ICS over hospitals.
The project to provide booster shots at ICS is a cooperative effort between Taksin Hospital under the BMA’s Heath Department, ICONSIAM, and ICS.
Tavida said the centre provides Moderna (bivalent) vaccines that are effective against two new strains of Covid-19.
The booster shots are free for Thai nationals. Foreign nationals are charged 1,380 baht for one booster shot.
Anyone who is at least 12 years old can walk in and register at the front of the vaccine-booster centre.
Thai citizens are required to provide their citizen identification card.
Foreign nationals living or working in Thailand must provide their original passport (not a copy) and their immigrant (pink) card.
Only people who have received a Covid-19 vaccine within the last three months are eligible for the service.
The vaccine-booster centre will be closed on May 13 and 14 for the election.
The service will resume on the last two weekends of the month (May 20-21 and May 27-28).
ICS is easily accessible by the Gold Line electric train. Take exit 4 at Charoen Nakhon station.
For more information, call the Taksin Hospital at 02-4370123 extension 1115 or the ICS hotline (1338).
