The first day of mass vaccination for youngsters nationwide got underway on Monday, with many seeing the jab as a ticket to freedom to return to classrooms and reunite with their friends.
The rollout of the Pfizer vaccine for youngsters aged 12–18 began on Monday across the country. Parents accompanied their children to inoculation sites and stood close by to provide moral support.
Although some parents looked away when the needles were gently inserted into their children's arms, many of them agreed that the vaccine was their children's best safeguard against Covid-19, saying even if youngsters contracted the virus after being vaccinated, they would not fall seriously ill.
On Monday, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha presided over a vaccination campaign for youngsters event at Pibool Upphatham School in Bangkok's Lat Phrao district, saying the jabs will deliver public health safety to the youngsters.
"We need to protect our education system at all costs," Gen Prayut said.
Education Minister Treenuch Thienthong said despite the vaccination, the new school term will see a mix of on-site and online classes. More space needs to be put between students in classrooms, with strict public health measures in place, she said.
The shots were being offered on a voluntary basis, but parents must give consent before jabs can be given to young people.
The Public Health and Education Ministries are aiming to dispense double doses to at least 85% of youngsters and faculty staff members nationwide before some in-person studies can safely resume during the new term next month.
For many students, the fear of getting sick from the virus far outweighs the potential vaccine complications and side effects. Some of them said they have had enough of months of virtual classrooms.
Onsiri Intharit, a student in Nakhon Si Thammarat, said he had no fear of needles.
"I felt no side effects whatsoever," she said after receiving her jab.
Her mother Plernpit Khunnangphum admitted that she had second thoughts about immunising her daughter at first after hearing of negative publicity about vaccines in the news.
But she said she consulted doctors and did some research on the vaccine before signing an approval form for Onsiri's inoculation.
Nakhon Si Thammarat was one of the 15 provinces that kicked off the vaccination campaign for youngsters on Monday.
The campaign was launched this week to provide enough time for the distribution of second doses at the end of this month or early next month, in time for the reopening of the new school term.
At the 11th Public Health Office in Nakhon Si Thammarat, 5,618 students from 25 schools signed up for jabs. The first doses will be distributed until Oct 19, while second doses will be given from Oct 25 to Nov 8.
The office reports to the 11th Public Health Area, which supervises seven southern provinces, and allocated 135,600 Pfizer vaccine doses for the first lot. Of these, 45,960 doses are earmarked for Nakhon Si Thammarat province.
In the northeastern province of Buri Ram, parents and children queued up early in the morning for vaccination. Clutched in the youngsters' hands were consent forms signed by their parents to be given to the nurses at vaccination points.
A Matthayom 4 (Grade 10) student said he researched the vaccine and was free of worries about it.
"I'm more scared that I might catch the virus," he said. "It's really dangerous."
In Buri Ram, about 80,000 students have registered for the vaccine shots. Half of them received the vaccine in the city centre area, either at Suri Ram Hospital or Chang Arena Stadium.
In Phetchabun, a total of 26,880 students were to be inoculated. In Muang district alone, 13,898 students from 43 schools lined up for the vaccines.
A Matthayom 3 (Grade 9) student at Thessaban 3 School said he felt nervous but was confident in the vaccine.
"I hope the vaccination campaign will be a success, and I can get back to class," he said.
In Bangkok, long queues formed early on Monday outside nine vaccination points for young students.
Most youngsters in the queues said they made up their minds about being vaccinated after talking to their parents. They also said they found themselves struggling with online study.
Across 109 schools managed by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, 88% of students aged 12–18, or 33,000, said 'yes' to the jabs.
In the northern province of Nan, student Pongsiri Pongsiriwong said he and several of his friends experienced a slight headache after the jabs, but they felt fine otherwise.
