The Public Health Ministry has decided that boys aged 12-16 can get two doses of the Pfizer vaccine.
Dr Opas Karnkawinpong, director-general of the Department of Communicable Disease, said there were concerns about potential myocarditis among boys aged 12-16 so at first, the ministry decided to give only one shot.
He said after consulting with paediatricians who specialise in infectious diseases and heart diseases and reviewing research findings, the ministry has concluded the risks are real but very low and those with mild symptoms can fully recover without medical assistance.
"It has been decided that boys aged 12-16 can get two doses of the Pfizer vaccine but on a voluntary basis. The vaccination must not be used as a condition for returning to class," he said.
He said the ministry will closely monitor the health of the children after they receive the jabs.
According to the ministry, as of Oct 19, a total of 1,325,527 students aged 12-18 have received their first shot of Pfizer vaccine since the launch of nationwide Pfizer inoculations for young people aged 12-18 on Oct 7 ahead of the reopening of schools next month.
The target is to vaccinate five million students aged 12-18 and about 3.8 million have been registered for the vaccine.
Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said the ministry plans to inoculate all students who study in formal and non-formal education.