BANGKOK, July 12 (TNA) – The National Communicable Disease Committee ordered medical workers to provide general people with the Sinovac vaccine as the first jab and the AstraZeneca vaccine as the second jab.
The order responded to the research finding that the combination stimulated as strong short-term immunity as that resulting from two jabs of the AstraZeneca vaccine and the Sinovac vaccine will not be administered as the second jab any more.
Deputy Prime Minister and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said the National Communicable Disease Committee resolved that people should have Sinovac and AstraZeneca jabs 3-4 weeks apart to raise their immunity and protect themselves from the Delta variant of COVID-19. Medical workers at hospitals were ordered to follow this resolution right away.
The committee also resolved that the medical personnel who work closely with infected people should have their third COVID-19 vaccine jab as a booster shot and the vaccine of AstraZeneca would be administered mainly for the purpose, Mr Anutin said.
Regarding the use of rapid antigen test kits, Mr Anutin said the committee allowed about 300 hospitals to use them and 24 brands of such products were registered. The panel had not approved their use by consumers yet.
Besides, the committee permitted home isolation and community isolation for infected people because of the shortages of hospital beds but the measure would apply only to asymptomatic patients (green-coded patients) on the voluntary basis.
The National Health Security Office would provide the people with equipment and food for their home and community isolation, Mr Anutin said. (TNA)
