Thailand praised for providing nearly 100% of basic vaccination to population

BANGKOK, May 26 (TNA) - The World Health Organization (WHO) has praised Thailand for giving basic vaccines to almost 100 per cent of the country's total population. Thai Public Health Minister Dr. Rajata Rajatanavin told journalists in Bangkok on Tuesday that WHO Director-General Margaret Chan expressed the appreciation to Thailand at a recent World Health Assembly in Switzerland. Dr. Rajata said the WHO chief pointed out that up to 95 per cent of the Thai population receive basic vaccines, which significantly reduce the mortality rate of related diseases, including tuberculosis, diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, polio, hepatitis B virus, measles, mumps and Japanese encephalitis. According to the public health minister, WHO also praised Thailand for the production of vaccines and expansion of vaccination to cover migrants to guarantee effective disease control. WHO acknowledged that global vaccination has not yet met its targeted coverage of over 90 per cent of world population, expressing its hope that the target should be achieved by 2020. Based on WHO statistics in 2013, vaccination for measles, diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus and polio covered 84 per cent of the global population, while about 1.5 million children worldwide died from the diseases which have vaccines. (TNA)