The Public Health Ministry on Tuesday began distributing 645,000 doses of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine donated by the US government to those deemed vulnerable in 13 dark-red-zone provinces.
The vulnerable groups allocated shots of the mRNA-based vaccine are the elderly, people with seven underlying diseases, and pregnant women, said Chawetsan Namwat, director of emergencies, health hazards and diseases at the Department of Disease Control (DDC) at a press conference yesterday.
The 13 provinces are Bangkok, Chachoengsao, Chon Buri, Nakhon Pathom, Nonthaburi, Narathiwat, Pathum Thani, Pattani, Ayutthaya, Yala, Songkhla, Samut Prakan and Samut Sakhon, he said.
"They will get the first shot of vaccine. The second shot of vaccine will be given three weeks later," Dr Chawetsan said.
These provinces were originally published in the Royal Gazette on July 18 and labelled as dark-red zones or as so-called maximum-control areas after the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) decided on new restrictions following rising infections in these provinces.
A further 16 provinces were added to the dark-red zones on Aug 1, expanding the number of provinces classified as such to 29.
Dr Chawetsan said the DDC have distributed at least 100,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine to medical staff and front-line workers in all 77 provinces since Aug 3.
The ministry has planned to provide more of the donated vaccine doses to other target groups.
The US government last month donated 1.5 million doses of Pfizer vaccine to Thailand to help the country's fight against Covid-19.
