Prayut will be first to get Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine shot

Prayut will be first to get Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine shot

A Hong Kong government minister receives a dose of the Sinovac vaccine on Monday. The first batch of the Chinese-made vaccine will arrive in Thailand on Wednesday. (Photo: Reuters)
A Hong Kong government minister receives a dose of the Sinovac vaccine on Monday. The first batch of the Chinese-made vaccine will arrive in Thailand on Wednesday. (Photo: Reuters)

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said on Monday he would be the first Thai to be inoculated with the Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine due to arrive on Wednesday from China.

"I am ready for vaccination," Gen Prayut said.

The first shipment of 200,000 Sinovac doses will arrive in Bangkok from Beijing on Wednesday by a Thai Airways International flight. Another 800,000 doses will arrive in March and 1 million more in April.

The government has also purchased 26 million doses from AstraZeneca, a British-Swedish pharmaceutical company.

Thailand is late in receiving vaccine deliveries. Among its Southeast Asia neighbours,    Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia and Singapore have already received shipments and begun giving vaccinations. 

The opposition Move Forward Party attacked the government on the economic damage due to the delayed vaccine rollout during the censure debate last week.

Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul denied the government was complacent in ordering  vaccines, pointing out that Thailand had a low rate of infection and fatalities.

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