Vaccination drive begins

People queue to receive their first dose of AstraZeneca vaccine at a gymnasium on the Thammasat University Rangsit campus on Monday. (Photo: Reuters)
People queue to receive their first dose of AstraZeneca vaccine at a gymnasium on the Thammasat University Rangsit campus on Monday. (Photo: Reuters)

People flocked to vaccination centres across the country on Monday as the government kicked off its long-delayed campaign to vaccinate the population against Covid.

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said at Bang Sue Grand Station that all eligible people would be vaccinated.

The new railway station is one of many places outside hospitals and health offices designated as vaccination centres.

Outside Bangkok, some shopping centres and sports faciliities are being used as vaccination centres for local residents.

Two types of vaccine are being distributed - Sinovac from China and AstraZeneca produced in Thailand.

The government plans to vaccinate 50 million people, about 70% of the entire population, by the end of this year to build herd immunity to Covid-19 disease. The vaccines each require two doses, with the first shots due to be completed by the end of September.

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Vocabulary

  • distribute: to give something out to many different places - แจกจ่าย
  • dose: an amount of drug that has been measured so that you can take it - ปริมาณยาที่ให้ต่อครั้ง
  • eligible: allowed by rules or laws to do something or to receive something - มีสิทธิ
  • flock: to go somewhere in large numbers; to gather together in large numbers - แห่กันไป
  • herd immunity: when most of a population is immune to an infectious disease -
  • vaccinate: to give someone a vaccine, usually by injection (putting a liquid, especially a drug, into a person's body using a needle and a syringe), to prevent them from getting a disease - ฉีดวัคซีน
  • vaccination (noun): giving someone a vaccine, usually by injection to prevent them from getting a disease - การฉีดวัคซีน
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