Covid becoming seasonal, annual vaccination will suffice

Covid-19 will become seasonal and vaccination should be annual for vulnerable people, while mRNA vaccine produces more complications than earlier vaccines, according to a prominent virologist.

Yong Poovorawan, head of the Centre of Excellence in Clinical Virology at Chulalongkorn University, wrote on his Facebook page on Monday that Covid-19 would finally become seasonal.

He estimated that more than 70%, or about 5 billion, of the world's population were infected with Covid-19. The official tally of cases worldwide was about one-tenth the actual number of infections, Dr Yong said.

About 80% of the Thai population had been infected and most people should already have Covid-19 antibodies when vaccinated people were included, he said.

"The severity of the disease keeps declining. More than 80% of fatalities were elderly people and those with chronic disease. There will not be lockdowns again," Dr Yong wrote.

When Covid-19 became seasonal, it would not be necessary for people to be vaccinated every 4-6 months. The frequency of vacination would become annual for groups of vulnerable people. Vaccination should be in April and May to prevent outbreaks in the rainy season, which starts in June.

He also said that mRNA vaccines were short-lived and expensive, and led to more complications than earlier introduced vaccines.

Over the week Jan 29-Feb 4, there were 252 Covid-19 patients admitted to hospitals in Thailand (an averge 36 a day) and 17 covid-related deaths.