A well being employee holds a field of the AstraZeneneca vaccine on the Bamrasnaradura Infectious Ailments Institute in Nonthaburi province on the
A well being employee holds a field of the AstraZeneneca vaccine on the Bamrasnaradura Infectious Ailments Institute in Nonthaburi province on the outskirts of Bangkok.
Chaiwat Subprasom | SOPA Photos | LightRocket by way of Getty Photos
The coronavirus shot developed by AstraZeneca and the College of Oxford can be Thailand’s “principal vaccine” because the nation seeks to revive its essential tourism sector, the Thai public well being minister instructed CNBC on Monday.
Renewed security issues across the AstraZeneca-Oxford shot led nations together with Germany and the Netherlands to halt using the vaccine for individuals below 60.
Earlier than these newest strikes, a number of nations — together with Thailand — suspended using the AstraZeneca vaccine following reviews of blood clots in some individuals who acquired the shot. However many lifted their suspensions after the World Well being Group mentioned its assessment of accessible information confirmed the vaccine’s advantages outweighing any dangers.
In Thailand, greater than 150,000 individuals have been inoculated with the AstraZeneca vaccine and the proportion of people that developed uncomfortable side effects “is taken into account very low,” mentioned Anutin Charnvirakul, the nation’s deputy prime minister and public well being minister.
Anutin instructed CNBC’s “Avenue Indicators Asia” that Thailand is awaiting additional deliveries of AstraZeneca’s vaccine, that are anticipated round June. Along with the AstraZeneca vaccine, Thailand additionally makes use of one developed by China’s Sinovac Biotech, mentioned the minister.
Since end-February, practically 250,000 individuals in Thailand have acquired Covid vaccines, mentioned Anutin.
Attracting overseas guests
In contrast with many nations globally, Thailand has reported comparatively few Covid instances and deaths. Official information confirmed that as of Sunday, the nation has confirmed greater than 29,000 infections and 95 deaths.
However its tourism-dependent economic system has been badly hit, shrinking 6.1% in 2020 in contrast with a 12 months in the past as nations restricted journey to sluggish the unfold of Covid-19, in response to information from the Workplace of the Nationwide Financial and Social Improvement Council.
Thailand is ramping up efforts to restart its tourism trade, together with rolling out vaccines in “important” numbers in widespread vacationer locations resembling Phuket and Koh Samui, mentioned Anutin.
“We need to ensure that our individuals are protected, that’s our first precedence. So as soon as our individuals are protected, we consider that our friends, specifically vacationers or any enterprise individuals, would undoubtedly come to go to our nation,” mentioned the minister.
To draw guests, Thailand has shortened the quarantine interval for foreigners arriving into the nation beginning this month. The nation can be aiming to waive quarantine necessities for vaccinated overseas guests to its largest vacation island Phuket.