According to an expert at the National Communicable Disease Committee, Dr. Thawee Chotepittayasunont, Thai people will receive the first doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine within a week of the first 50,000 doses from Italy arriving in Thailand this month, although the date of arrival is still not specified.

Noting that all vaccines have side effects, to a greater or lesser degree, he said that 70% of those inoculated with the AstraZeneca vaccine so far developed more side effects after the first than the second dose.

Common side effects include inflammation and pain at and around the injection site and other medications can reduce these symptoms.