Bangkok people of seven risk groups can get free flu shots now at healthcare units or make reservations online to receive the service starting June 30.
With a high rate of flu in the capital, at 810.07 per 100,000 people, the National Health Security Office (NHSO) has provided free flu vaccines for seven risk groups for free to alleviate the situation.
This year, Bangkok was allocated 220,000 doses, said Veerepan Leethanakul, director of the NHSO’s Region 13, which covers Bangkok.
The seven risk groups are:
- Women with pregnancies of four months or more;
- Children aged six months to two years;
- People with chronic diseases (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, heart disease, strokes, kidney failure, diabetes and cancer patients on chemotherapy);
- People aged more than 65;
- People with cerebral palsy requiring full-time assistance;
- People with Thalassemia and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (Aids); and
- People weighing more than 100kg or having body mass index of more than 35kg/m²
Eligible people can receive the shots now at 68 public health service centres, community clinics and state and private hospitals joining the programme, Dr Veerepan said.
For advance bookings, around 100,000 known patients in the risk groups will receive a text message which they can register by tapping the provided link.
Starting June 30, others who are eligible can also register at https://bkkapp.nhso.go.th/public/vaccine/. After typing the ID number and mobile phone number, they will receive a text message asking them to choose the medical units to get the shots and the phone numbers they can call to book the service.
