Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha is promoting public confidence in the Sinovac and AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines, the two brands currently being administered in Thailand.

While receiving his second dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine today (Monday) he said “I’m here to take the jab because I have confidence in the vaccine’s efficacy and safety. There may be some side effects, but they aren’t fatal”. The prime minister received the jab at Bamrasnaradura Infectious Diseases Institute in Nonthaburi province. He received his first dose on March 16^th.

“Everyone needs to listen to the doctors as well, including what to do before vaccination. You need to have enough sleep, and wait to see if there are any symptoms after the jab,” he added.

Gen. Prayut also assured the public of the efficacy and safety of other vaccine brands, which may be acquired later this year and next, saying that there will be strict screening of the vaccines, in accordance with the Public Health Ministry’s standards.

Six million doses of the Sinovac vaccine have been delivered from China so far, with three million more expected next month. Only 117,600 doses of AstraZeneca were imported in February, but 61 million more doses are being produced locally, by Siam Bioscience, for administration in Thailand from June through December.

Johnson & Johnson and Moderna vaccines, both from the US, have also been approved by Thailand’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA), but they have not yet been purchased for use in the country.