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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40001916

AstraZeneca side-effects mostly experienced by those in working age group

The side-effects of the AstraZeneca vaccine are found more commonly among people in the working age group than among the elderly, as their bodies respond faster to the vaccine, the Department of Medical Services said.

“AstraZeneca is a viral vector vaccine that stimulates the body’s immunity system, making recipients more prone to displaying side-effects than an inactivated vaccine like Sinovac,” said Dr Somsak Akksilp, director-general of the department.

“Side-effects are usually found among young people in the working age group as their immunity system responds faster to the injected vaccine than the bodies of elders.”

Somsak added that the side-effects of AstraZeneca include fever, shivering, muscle ache and localised numbness, which usually subside within a few days. “Allergic reactions might also vary among different persons depending on a number of individual factors. Some recipients of Sinovac vaccine might experience these symptoms as well.”

Somsak added that the department was satisfied with the operations at the Central Vaccination Unit at Bang Sue Grand Station, which has opened since June 7 to vaccinate the general public who have registered via the Thai Ruam Jai website and with four mobile phone operators (AIS, DTAC, True and CAT Telecom).

“The average vaccination time at the unit per person is 40-50 minutes. People usually come in big groups from morning, but the crowd gradually eases in the afternoon,” he said.

“Officials will call out in the order of their registration number. They must present their ID card. Walk-ins will not be permitted, nor would jumping the queue, or VIP inoculation at the unit.”

According to the Ministry of Public Health, the Central Vaccination Unit at Bang Sue Grand Station can vaccinate up to 10,000 people per day and is manned by over 500 medical professionals daily.

Published : June 11, 2021

By : THE NATION

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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40001914

Baht expected to see limited appreciation in the short term

The baht opened at 31.13 to the US dollar on Friday, unchanged from its closing rate on Thursday.

The Thai currency is likely to move between 31.05 and 31.20 during the day, Krungthai Bank market strategist Poon Panichpibool said.

He said the baht would tend to strengthen from several factors, such as the risk-on state of the market and the purchasing power of foreign investors for Thai assets.

However the currency will not strengthen sharply, as importers aim to buy foreign currencies when the baht is at around 31.00 to 31.10 to the dollar.

Poon said the Bank of Thailand was likely to control the baht’s appreciation, due to the increase in its foreign exchange reserves.

Published : June 11, 2021

By : The Nation

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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40001912

Government to buy 20 million vaccine doses from Pfizer this year: Anutin

The Department of Disease Control has signed a contract with Pfizer as an initial step to buy Covid-19 vaccines, Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said on Thursday.

“The contract that we signed would allow Pfizer to submit their documents to register the vaccine with the Food and Drug Administration,” he said.

“After the submission, each party will have four weeks to revise details of prices and other conditions for the purchase contract. Initially, the ministry expects to buy 20 million doses from them, which should be delivered within this year.”

So far, five vaccines have been approved by the FDA for use in Thailand. They are: AstraZeneca imported by AstraZeneca (Thailand) Ltd and manufactured locally by Siam Bioscience Ltd; CoronaVac or Sinovac, which is imported by the Government Pharmaceutical Organization; Johnson & Johnson vaccine that is imported by Janssen-Cilag Ltd, Moderna vaccine that is imported by Zuellig Pharma Ltd, and Sinopharm’s Covilo vaccine that is imported by Bio Genetech Ltd.

Anutin added that this year the ministry would also receive 5 million doses of vaccine it had ordered from Johnson & Johnson.

“The Johnson & Johnson vaccine only requires one dose per person, while the Pfizer vaccine, like other vaccines, requires two doses per person,” he said.

“Thailand will not face vaccine shortage as the government is negotiating with all manufacturers to import more vaccines, not to mention that we are also capable of manufacturing the AstraZeneca vaccine domestically,” said Anutin.

“We will stay prepared to secure more vaccines as Covid-19 will probably not go away anytime soon. Furthermore, there is no study to confirm that the immunity of vaccinated persons will not decrease in nine to 12 months, so those who have been vaccinated since February might need another jab.”

Anutin added that he expects more than 10 million Thais to be vaccinated by the end of June after vaccination for the general public started on June 7.

Meanwhile statistics presented by the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation indicated that as of June 9, Thailand had injected 5.1 million doses of Sinovac and AstraZeneca vaccines, making it the third most vaccinated country in Asean behind Indonesia and the Philippines.

Published : June 11, 2021

By : THE NATION

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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40001911

Phuket sandbox strategy expected to draw upto 1.2 million tourists

The Phuket sandbox campaign, which kicks off on July 1, could bring in up to 1.2 million foreign tourists until the year-end, according to a recent prediction by Kasikorn Research Centre.

The centre recently published its estimates for the tourism industry for the second half of the year, and the tourism sandbox campaign in Phuket is expected to be a major contributing factor.

Under the scheme, foreign tourists who can verify that they have been inoculated against Covid-19 and test negative can fly into Phuket and move around freely in the province without having to quarantine.

After staying in Phuket for 14 days, if they test negative for Covid, the tourists can then travel to other provinces in Thailand.

“From July 1 until the end of 2021, the sandbox campaign will bring in from 550,000 to 1.2 million foreign tourists in the best-case scenario, in which there are no new cluster cases emerging in the province,” said the centre. “However, in the worst-case scenario, the number of foreign tourists is predicted at around 250,000. These predictions could vary, depending on the Covid-19 situation, the vaccination rate and the confidence of foreign tourists in Thailand’s ability to control the outbreak.”

The research centre also predicted that the overall tourism industry would start to improve next year when more locals in tourism provinces have been vaccinated.

“As for domestic tourism, the government’s tourism promotion campaigns will start to yield result in provinces that have no new cluster cases and achieve the vaccination target,” said the centre.

“Once the country’s overall outbreak situation improves, Thais will start travelling and spending domestically, which will help other related industries, such as transportation and retail.”

Published : June 11, 2021

By : THE NATION

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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40001904

Thailand hit with 27 deaths, 2,290 new cases over 24 hours

Thailand’s Covid-19 caseload came in at 27 deaths and 2,290 new confirmed cases over a 24-hour period on Friday.

Bangkok again led the list with 942 cases, followed by 173 in Samut Prakan and 102 in Nonthaburi.

Of 30 returnees, 28 were Thai nationals – 15 from Saudi Arabia, 12 from Cambodia and one from the UK. The other two were an Iranian and Indonesian from their own countries.

Meanwhile, 5,711 patients have recovered and been discharged in the last 24 hours.

As of Friday, the number of confirmed cases in Thailand had risen to 189,828. So far, 144,998 have recovered and been discharged, 43,428 patients are still in hospitals, and 1,402 have died.

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Meanwhile, another 177,353 people were given their first Covid-19 shot in the last 24 hours, while 42,962 were given their second shot, bringing the total number of Covid-19 vaccines administered in Thailand to 5,667,058.

According to Worldometer, as of 11am on Friday, the number of confirmed cases globally had risen to 175.61 million (up by 434,852), 159.15 million of whom have recovered, 12.68 million are active cases (84,738 in severe condition) and 3.78 million have died (up by 11,400).

Thailand ranks 79th in the global list of most cases, which is topped by the US with 34.27 million, followed by India 29.27 million, Brazil 17.21 million, France 5.72 million, and Turkey 5.31 million.

Published : June 11, 2021

By : THE NATION

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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40001893

Locals urged to be cautious as heavy rains forecast for Northeast, East and South

Isolated heavy rains are forecast for the Northeast, the East and the west coast of the South, the Thailand Meteorological Department said on Friday.

Amonsoon trough lies across the upper North and Laos forming a low pressure cell over upper Vietnam, while a strong southwest monsoon prevails across the Andaman Sea, Thailand, and the Gulf of Thailand, the department said.

People in these areas should beware of accumulated rains and heavy downpour, the department cautioned.

Waves in the Andaman Sea are expected to rise 2-3 metres high and above three metres during thundershowers. All ships should proceed with caution and small boats should keep ashore until June 12, the department said.

The weather forecast for the next 24 hours:

North: Thundershowers in 60 per cent of the areas; temperature lows of 22-25 degrees Celsius, highs of 31-33°C.

Northeast: Thundershowers in 70 per cent of the areas with isolated heavy rains; temperature lows of 22-26°C, highs of 29-33°C.

Central: Thundershowers in 40 per cent of the areas; temperature lows of 22-26°C, highs of 31-36°C.

East: Thundershowers in 60 per cent of the areas with isolated heavy rains; temperature lows of 23-27°C, highs of 27-32°C; waves two metres high and over two metres during thundershowers.

South (east coast): Thundershowers in 60 per cent of the areas; temperature lows of 22-26°C, highs of 31-33°C; waves a metre high and 1-2 metres during thundershowers.

South (west coast): Thundershowers in 70 per cent of the areas with isolated heavy rains; temperature lows of 21-25°C, highs of 29-33°C; waves 2-3 metres high and over three metres during thundershowers.

Bangkok and surrounding areas: Thundershowers in 30 per cent of the areas; temperature lows of 25-26°C, highs of 32-34°C.

Source: Thailand Meteorological Department

Published : June 11, 2021

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40001885

Thailand to vaccinate children with Sinovac if China, WHO give green light

The Public Health Ministry says it will wait for China and the World Health Organisation (WHO) to certify Sinovac vaccine safe for use in children aged 3 and over before doing the same in Thailand.

Another batch of 1 million Sinovac doses landed at 5.30am on Thursday, bringing the total number of doses for Thailand’s mass vaccination programme to 7.5 million.

Health Ministry permanent secretary Kiattiphum Wongrachit said a study in China was underway to discover the correct Sinovac dosage, number of injections and period between injections for children.

Kiattiphum also gave an overview of progress in Thailand’s mass vaccination, which launched on Monday. He said about 30 per cent of vaccine recipients have reported slight fever, a normal side effect that usually disappears after 24-48 hours.

He also revealed a phenomenon of recipients refusing Sinovac vaccine and insisting on the AstraZeneca brand instead. Both vaccines were high-quality and effective in boosting immunity to prevent severe Covid symptoms and death, he said. Therefore, people should accept what they were offered by medics, Kiattiphum advised.

Responding to complaints that “VIPs” have been queue-jumping at vaccination centres, Kiattiphum said staff at the centres had been deployed to manage queues properly.

Published : June 11, 2021

By : The Nation

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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40001884

First 1 million doses of Sinopharm to arrive June 20-21

Chulabhorn Royal Academy (CRA) expects to import Thailands first batch of 1 million Sinopharm vaccine doses on June 20-21, according to its secretary-general Dr Nithi Mahanon.

Dr Nithi told Sutichai Yoon in a Facebook interview on Thursday that the batch would undergo 2-3 days of quality checks by the Department of Medical Sciences. The CRA will then distribute the vaccine on a non-profit basis at 888 baht per dose to interested agencies and organisations.

“The vaccine must be offered free to recipients, with the purchasing agencies bearing the cost,” he said.

The college will open an online vaccine reservation service on Monday, June 14. Organisations who have already sent an expression of interest would still have to register online for doses, said the CRA chief. Organisations will be prioritised according to four criteria: organisation’s size, social and economic security, Covid risk, and inequality. “Large organisations may not be allocated large amounts of doses at one time,” Dr Nithi said.

The CRA aims to plug gaps left by shortages of government-procured vaccine over the next 2-3 months. It plans to import a total of 5-6 million doses of Sinopharm in batches every 10 days. Meanwhile, the academy is considering whether to administer third-dose booster shots using the same or different vaccine at the end of 2021 or start of 2022.

Published : June 11, 2021

By : The Nation

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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40001880

Justice minister kicks off vaccination in Covid-ravaged Thai prison system

Justice Minister Somsak Thepsuthin announced the vaccine rollout in Thailand’s overcrowded prisons on Thursday, where more than 22,000 inmates have tested positive for Covid-19 during the latest wave.

Somsak urged the ministry’s Department of Corrections to distribute vaccines to prisons nationwide to ensure that all officials and inmates receive jabs.

He said prisons in provinces with a high infection risk will be first on the list for vaccine delivery.

“This move aims to contain the spread of Covid-19, gain confidence among prison officials and inmates, reduce loss of life and budget, and comply with human rights,” he said.

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Hundreds of new cases per day in prisons across the country are driving the third wave of Covid-19 in Thailand, where mass vaccination began on Monday.

The third wave, which emerged around the start of April, accounts for more than 80 per cent of the country’s total infections and 90 per cent of deaths from Covid-19.

Published : June 10, 2021

By : The Nation

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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40001878

Army of Minions deliver lese majeste file to police, demand prosecutions

Former politician Nangnoi Assawakittikorn on Thursday led an army of royalist “Minions” to the Technology Crime Suppression Division (TCSD), where they urged police to crack down on violators of the lese majeste and computer crime laws.

Calling themselves the Thailand Help Centre for Cyber-bullying Victims, Nangnoi’s group wore yellow shirts and blue overalls to mimic the popular cartoon characters from the “Despicable Me” and “Minions” films.

Army of Minions deliver lese majeste file to police, demand prosecutions

Yellow is the colour traditionally worn by royalists in Thailand, while Nangnoi is a former MP candidate for the Action Coalition for Thailand Party and a prominent royalist activist in Phitsanulok province.

The lese majeste law (Section 112 of the Criminal Code) states that “whoever defames, insults or threatens the King, the Queen, the Heir-apparent or the Regent, will be punished with imprisonment of three to 15 years”.

Army of Minions deliver lese majeste file to police, demand prosecutions

Nagnoi handed what she said was evidence of lese majeste to the police. Most of it consisted of comments posted on media websites such as The Standard, Channel One News, Workpoint Today, Nation TV and TikTok.

TCSD chief Sunatthaphol Niramitsupphachet said Nangnoi had delivered comments from about 90 individuals, all of which the division would investigate for possible criminal content.

Published : June 10, 2021

By : THE NATION