While Thailand is a long way behind many countries in the world when it comes to Covid-19 vaccinations, a spokesperson for the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administrations (CCSA) said today 5.66 million vaccinations have been administered since late February this year.
That means 8.3% of the people in Thailand to date have been vaccinated with at least a first vaccine, while some have already received both vaccinations.
Yesterday (Thursday), 223,315 people were given Covid-19 vaccinations, although only 3% of the entire population has been fully vaccinated so far, for a total number of just 1.52 million people having received both vaccinations.
That figure falls to a pathetic 0.2% of fully vaccinated Thais when it comes to those over the age of 60 — a population more at risk from becoming extremely ill if they contract Covid than populations that are younger — but one that often struggles to find clinics or hospitals with available vaccines.
With herd immunity being reached with between 65-70% of the total population of a country vaccinated, Thailand still then has a long way to go before it reaches that level.
Some experts estimate it could be at least the beginning of 2022 before everyone in Thailand that wants to be vaccinated can be, unless the speed at which Thailand has been able to procure vaccines speeds up.
The Thai government has an eventual target of 50 million people vaccinated out of Thailand’s 69.8 million population (66.8 Thais and 3 million foreigners living in Thailand) in order to reach that 70% target.
That means more than 48 million people in Thailand still need to receive both vaccines if the government wants to make that happen.
To be fair, however, Thailand has been concentrating on vaccinating those working in health and medical communities first, as these are the people more at risk from contracting Covid-19 than any other population.
But again, with only 9.3% of health volunteers having received both vaccines, it will still be many months before Thailand catches up with most of the west and with several other countries in Asia.
Including its closest neighbors Cambodia, with almost 14% of its population fully vaccinated so far.
This is particularly true in relation to the vaccination stock Thailand is currently holding as, according to various health officials, that stock is due to run out this coming week.
Thus leaving the Thai government with tens of millions of Thais wanting vaccinations, but no vaccines available to vaccinate them with.
Meanwhile, in the United States, 141 million people out of the country’s 332 million population (almost 43%) are already fully vaccinated, with between 20-45% of people fully vaccinated in a number of European countries as well.