The coronavirus shot developed by AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford will be Thailand’s “premier vaccine” as the country seeks to revive its crucial tourism industry, Thailand’s health minister told CNBC Monday.
Renewed safety concerns surrounding the AstraZeneca-Oxford shot led countries, including Germany and the Netherlands, to stop using the vaccine for people under 60.
Before those last steps, several countries – including Thailand – suspended the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine following reports of blood clots in some people who received the injection. But many have lifted their suspensions after the World Health Organization said its review of the available data showed that the benefits of the vaccine outweighed its risks.
A health worker holds a box of AstraZeneneca vaccine at the Bamrasnaradura Infectious Diseases Institute in Nonthaburi province on the outskirts of Bangkok.
Chaiwat Subprasom | SOPA images | LightRocket via Getty Images
In Thailand, more than 150,000 people have been vaccinated with the AstraZeneca vaccine and the percentage of people experiencing side effects “is considered very low,” said Anutin Charnvirakul, the country’s deputy prime minister and health minister.
Anutin told CNBC’s “Street Signs Asia” that Thailand is awaiting further deliveries of AstraZeneca’s vaccine, expected around June. In addition to the AstraZeneca vaccine, Thailand also uses a vaccine developed by China’s Sinovac Biotech, the minister said.
Since the end of February, nearly 250,000 people in Thailand have received Covid vaccines, Anutin said.
Attracting foreign visitors
Compared to many countries worldwide, Thailand has reported relatively few cases and deaths from Covid. Official data showed that the country has confirmed more than 29,000 infections and 95 deaths since Sunday.
But the tourism-dependent economy has been badly hit, shrinking 6.1% in 2020 from a year ago as countries restricted travel to slow the spread of Covid-19, according to data from the Bureau of the National Economic and Social Affairs. Social Development Council.
Thailand is ramping up efforts to revive its tourism industry, including rolling out vaccines in “significant” numbers in popular tourist destinations such as Phuket and Koh Samui, Anutin said.
“We want to make sure our people are safe, that’s our number one priority. So once our people are safe, we believe that our guests, whether tourists or business people, will definitely come and visit our country,” said the minister. .
To attract visitors, Thailand has shortened the quarantine period for foreigners entering the country starting this month. The country is also working to waive quarantine requirements for vaccinated foreign visitors to the largest holiday island of Phuket.