The Justice Ministry has submitted a request to the Public Health Ministry for an allocation of vaccines for officials and inmates at 143 correctional facilities throughout the country, to halt the spread of Covid-19 in prisons, permanent secretary Wisit Wisitsora-at said on Tuesday.
He said the request was sent to Dr Kiatiphum Wongrachit, permanent secretary for public health.
Priority would be given to prisons where no infections have been detected but are in "red" or high-risk areas.
About 10,000 warders would be inoculated first, followed by detainees classified as fragile or with underlying morbidities, to prevent death in the event they were infected, Mr Wisit said.
Mr Wisit said vaccination had begun at some prisons.
Vaccines, when available as requested, would be distributed to prisons, detention centres and hospitals aligned with the Corrections Department.
Active case finding was continuing inside all prisons and areas where premises were being erected for quarantine of infected inmates, he said.