Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul became the first Thai to be inoculated with the Sinovac vaccine on Sunday morning, at the Bamrasnaradura Infectious Disease Institute.
The inoculation was administered by virologist Dr. Yong Poovorawan and witnessed by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, whose scheduled injection today was postponed indefinitely due to an administrative problem related to the AstraZeneca vaccine from Britain.
Agriculture Minister Chalermchai Sri-on, Deputy Public Health Minister Satit Pitutacha, Culture Minister Itthiphol Khunpluem and Deputy Education Minister Kanokwan Vilawan, Public Health Permanent Secretary Dr. Kiattiphum Wongrachit and Dr. Opas Karnkawinpong, director-general of the Disease Control Department and several other health officials were among the first group to be inoculated.
In his address to those present, the prime minister said today is a historic day, as he thanked all officials involved in the efforts to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic and in the procurement of the vaccines.
Noting that there were no side effects detected 15 minutes after the inoculations were given, the prime minister said this was an indication of Thailand’s readiness to cope with the contagion.
Meanwhile in Samut Sakhon, Thailand’s current hot bed of the COVID-19 pandemic, 159 selected people, including the public health chief, Tha Sai Tambon Administration Organizer mayor and assistant provincial governor were also inoculated with the Sinovac vaccine at the provincial hospital.
The hospital received 20,000 doses of the vaccine yesterday.
The hospital’s director, Dr. Anukul Thathanan, said that, in the initial stage, Samut Sakhon will be assigned 70,000 doses of vaccine, to be given to high risk people at various hospitals in the province.
