About two-thirds of the people who died recently after catching Covid-19 were not vaccinated against the disease, according to the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration.
Apisamai Srirangson, a CCSA spokeswoman, said on Friday that from July 25 to Aug 19 there were 4,656 Covid-19 fatalities nationwide and 2,969, or 63.8%, had not been vaccinated.
She said 316 of those who died, or 7%, had received a dose of AstraZeneca vaccine more than two weeks before falling ill, and 118, or 2.6%, had their first AstraZeneca dose more than four weeks before their illness.
"That meant antibodies were not stimulated within two weeks after inoculation," Dr Apisamai said.
Among those who received the second dose up to two weeks before falling ill, there were 26 fatalities. or 0.6% of the total.
"Despite two doses, people could still be infected," she said.
As of Thursday, 25.82 million doses of he various Covid-19 vaccines had been administered nationwide - 19.58 million first doses, 5.70 million second doses and 527,457 as a third dose.
Dr Apisamai said a study of 125 people by the Department of Medical Sciences and the Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital found that the mix-and-matching of different Covid-19 vaccines over 2-3 doses better stimulated antibodies against the Delta variant of the novel coronavirus.
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration agreed to give the Sinovac vaccine as the first dose and the AstraZeneca vaccine as the second, within three weeks, she said.
Dr Apisamai gave no details of fatality rates involving the other Covid-19 vaccines.
A graphic from the Department of Medical Sciences and the Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital shows the level antibodies stimulated by the administration of different vaccines in series.
