By Linda Khoo Hui Li
BANGKOK, May 8 -- Thailand plans to procure more COVID-19 vaccine as the country deals with a rapid surge in infections.
Prime Minister Prayuth Chan o-cha said Thailand has set the target to procure 100 million doses of vaccine, on top of the 65 million doses already ordered this year to inoculate 50 million people.
“Following the latest outbreak, we set new vaccination target…We should have 150 million doses or more for 60 million people while having some reserve,” he said in his Facebook posting today.
Thailand with a population of nearly 70 million needs to inoculate at least 50 million of its people to achieve herd immunity.
Prayuth said the government has been negotiating with seven vaccine manufacturers.
Thailand has so far approved the vaccines from Sinovac Biotech, AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson.
Over the last 24 hours, Thailand recorded 2,419 new COVID-19 cases and 19 new deaths bringing the total infections in the kingdom to 81,274 and 382 fatalities.
The new deaths involved 11 women and eight men, aged between 42 to 93 years old.
To halt the spread of COVID-19 in the capital, Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has extended the closure of educational institutions, public and sports venues to May 17.
Venues that remain closed include educational institutions, entertainment outlets, public parks and sport venues while restaurants banned from offering dine-in service.
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