Nearly 2m Thais receive influenza vaccine

BANGKOK, August 24 (TNA) - The Public Health Ministry reports that a total of 1.9 million people were given a seasonal influenza vaccine from May 22–August 22, 2013, mostly were those with chronic diseases. Dr. Pornthep Siriwanarangsun, Director-General of the ministry’s Department of Disease Control, told reporters on Saturday that, of those vaccinated, 1.1 million were people with chronic disease, 500,000 were people over the ages of 65 years and the rest were pregnant women, people with obesity, mentally handicapped people, Thalassemia patients, people with weak immune system and children from six months to 2 years of age. Dr. Pornthep acknowledged that his ministry has prepared 3.5 million doses of vaccine and people can receive their shots for free at public hospitals under his ministry’s supervision or private hospitals joining the National Health Security Office’s programme before the September 30 deadline. According to the senior Thai health official, the vaccine will protect people, particularly those in the vulnerable groups, against three influenza viruses, including AH1N1, AH3N2 and B, for one year. (TNA)