Health volunteers are being urged to help the government meet its goal to distribute 2 million coronavirus vaccine doses by the end of the year by actively encouraging the public to get boosted.
Minister of Public Health Anutin Charnvirakul said yesterday the number of people getting booster shots is declining despite the country possibly facing a new outbreak caused by the fast-transmitting Omicron subvariant XBB.
“I have personally experienced this [reluctance] while visiting people in many provinces,” he said. “The majority of them have stopped at the third dose due to many reasons, specifically the declining number of Covid-19 infections.”
“I would like people to come to get the fourth dose to increase immunity levels,” he added.
He said each province should have booster shots ready for 70% of its population. Local volunteers and public health offices should work together to convince people to get a booster, he said.
According to the ministry, it is planning to ask health volunteers to help encourage locals to get boosters, especially people with chronic diseases and senior citizens. It said only 43.4% of senior citizens have received such shots.
The ministry reported that about 15,000 vaccine doses, or about 450,000 per month, are being distributed to people across the country. The ministry is aiming to distribute 2 million doses by the end of this year.
Mr Anutin said the government is still providing vaccine doses for free to everyone, regardless of nationality, adding the ministry is in the process of checking its inventories to ensure it has enough vaccines.
If not, the ministry will place new vaccine orders, he said.
Regarding the wearing of face masks, he said the ministry has a clear policy that people should decide whether they should wear one or not.
The ministry only suggests that people wear masks while in crowded areas or places with poor ventilation, he said.
“I personally don’t wear a mask while working in the ministry because all the people close to me have had at least six vaccine shots,” he said. “People who’ve just returned from overseas should wear masks while accompanying others.”