Thai Bus Brings Vaccination Service Closer To Vulnerable Groups In Bangkok

By Linda Khoo Hui Li BANGKOK, Sept 9 (Bernama) -- To further ramp up its vaccination drive, Thailand’s capital on Wednesday launched its first mobile vaccination unit to inoculate the elderly and vulnerable groups in Bangkok as COVID-19 cases remain high. To bring vaccination services closer to communities especially those at high-risk and vulnerable groups, Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) launched a pilot project to bring vaccination service closer to them. A bus equipped with a vaccination team would be deployed to inoculate the elderly and those with seven underlying health conditions as well as disabled people at selected venues in the city. Bangkok Governor Aswin Kwanmuang said the mobile vaccination unit manned by six to seven people including three medics, a driver and staff handling paperwork. “The mobile vaccination unit could inoculate more than 1,000 individuals a day. “The BMA will deploy seven more of the mobile units to service Bangkok communities soon,” he said. Thailand’s vaccination roll-out has been slower than its neighbours in the region. To date, Thailand has administered 37.46 million doses of vaccine including 607,177 doses as booster shot. Over the last 24 hours, Thailand recorded 14,176 new COVID-19 cases and 228 deaths, bringing the total infections in the kingdom to 1,322,519 and 13,511 fatalities. Meanwhile, one of 45 Thai workers deported from Malaysia and undergoing compulsory quarantine at a hotel tested positive for COVID-19. Local media reported the group of 43 crewmen on a fishing boat and two women were arrested in Malaysia for illegal entry before being deported from Kedah on Sept 3 via the Sadao border checkpoint in Songkhla. -- BERNAMA