306,580 people across Thailand were inoculated against COVID-19 today (Monday) as the country kicked off the mass vaccination operation, to contain the spread of the pandemic, which has infected a total of 151,023 people during the third wave, which started on April 1st this year.
While the prime minister had said, earlier today, that a contract had been signed for the purchase of 25 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said that the Ministry of Public Health is “expected to sign term sheets” for the procurement of 20 million doses of Pfizer and just five million doses of Johnson & Johnson vaccines later this week.
The minister also said he had not been informed about some hospitals having to postpone vaccination appointments today adding, however, that they must provide an explanation if there are such delays.
Today marks the first day that locally-produced AstraZeneca vaccines were injected into people over 60 and those who suffer any of from seven non-communicable underlying diseases. Today’s vaccination tally has brought the total of doses administered to date to more than 4.5 million.
