The Ministry of Public Health has yet to endorse a fifth Covid-19 jab for the general public over concerns about its efficacy and safety, the Department of Disease Control said on Monday.
DDC director-general Opas Karnkawinpong said those who believe they need to get a fifth shot should consult their physicians.
These include those who need to travel to China (which requires foreign visitors to have two Sinovac or Sinopharm jabs) or Japan (which mandates three shots -- one of which should be an mRNA vaccine).
Those who have had four shots but suffer from low immunity against Covid due to underlying health conditions and/or other factors may also be recommended for a fifth shot by their doctors, though the recommendation will be made on a case-by-case basis.
Separately, the chief of the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration's (CCSA) operations centre Supoj Malaniyom dismissed claims that the government will start rolling out the fifth shot as the vaccines it has in stock are about to expire.
"We ask people not to worry about expiration dates because we will not distribute expired vaccines. We have yet to allow everyone to get their fifth shot," he said.
Those who require a fifth shot can visit the Central Vaccination Centre at Bang Sue Grand Station. The facility provides vaccines for anyone aged five years old and older. The service is available daily from 9am to 4pm.
