Govt urged to jab migrant workers

Govt urged to jab migrant workers

It must 'do more to avoid an outbreak'

Academics are urging the government to do more to vaccinate migrant workers in the country to avoid a possible outbreak.

Surak Thanaisawanyangkoon, an academic with the Health Systems Research Institute, yesterday said vaccine doses have been given to 3–4 million alien workers but questioned whether it is enough.

Mr Surak said there has been some difficulty in obtaining the vaccine for these workers.

Mr Surak said the institute found that from March to August, 109,422 migrant workers were infected with Covid-19, noting most of them came from neighbouring countries such as Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia.

Meanwhile, the Department of Disease Control reported that 356,337 migrant workers, or 7.27% of them, have received a Covid vaccine, Mr Surak said.

"We are still at risk of having a new outbreak if those migrant workers are not yet fully vaccinated," Mr Surak said.

"The government should do more to clear any obstacles preventing them from receiving the vaccine," the academic added.

Mr Surak said many migrant workers have refused getting vaccinated because they did not have clear information about its side effects.

He said effective communication is needed to gain their trust and convince them that inoculation against Covid-19 is safe.

Mr Surak said all migrant workers, no matter whether here legally or not, must have access to the vaccine because the novel coronavirus is a public health issue closely tied to national security.

He said the Ministry of Public Health yesterday reported seven new cases in Sa Kaeo province, all of which were attributed to people who legally entered Thailand to work after the government eased coronavirus restrictions, especially at restaurants where many migrants work.

Dr Chawetsan Namwat, director of the Public Health Ministry's Health Hazard and Disease Control Division, said business owners should inoculate migrant workers as soon as possible, adding the vaccine is available in many provinces.

In other news, the Ministry of Labour is planning to hold a discussion with its partners to allow the hiring of additional migrant workers due to a high demand for labour in many business sectors.

According to the ministry, vaccines will be provided later under a social security system.

For those who are not covered by the system, their employer shall bear the cost of the vaccine.

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