Thailand's Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and members of his cabinet on Friday cancelled plans to receive AstraZeneca vaccine shots after the country delayed use of the vaccines over reports of blood clots in some European nations, a health official said.
BANGKOK - Thailand’s Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and members of his cabinet on Friday cancelled plans to receive AstraZeneca vaccine shots after the country delayed use of the vaccines over reports of blood clots in some European nations, a health official said.In a health ministry news conference, Prasit Watanapa, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at Siriraj Hospital, confirmed the rollout would be delayed after a suspension of inoculations using the vaccine in Denmark, Norway and Iceland.
“AstraZeneca is still a good vaccine but with what has happened ... the health ministry based on this advice would like to postpone the usage of the AstraZeneca vaccine momentarily,” Kiattiphum said. Thailand has so far recorded just over 26,500 coronavirus infections and 85 fatalities in a population of 66.5 million. A second wave that began in December is now registering below 100 new infections per day.
However, the locally made AstraZeneca is not due to be ready until at least June, and Thailand last week began limited inoculations with imported doses of the Sinovac vaccine.