More than 57,000 Thai frontline medics given Pfizer booster shot

BANGKOK (The Nation/ANN): The Department of Disease Control said on Sunday (Aug 8) that from Aug 4 to 7, more than 57,000 medical professionals who had previously got two jabs of Sinovac vaccine were given a dose of Pfizer vaccine to boost their immunity against Covid-19.

The Ministry of Public Health has earmarked 700,000 doses of Pfizer vaccine from the total 1.5 million doses that have been donated by the United States,” DDC deputy chief Dr Sophon Iamsirithavorn said.

“A total of 446,000 doses has already been distributed to hospitals and field hospitals located in 'dark red' provinces, while the rest will be distributed soon,” he said.

“The reason we don’t distribute all at once is the vaccine must be used within 31 days of being taken out of the container, while some hospitals still have other vaccines in stock, which must be finished first,” he added.

The DDC reported no severe side-effects among over 57,000 recipients of the Pfizer vaccine other than muscle ache and low fever, although the United States’ CDC has recorded that the vaccine has caused myocarditis and pericarditis among recipients, which are treatable by cardiologists.

The vaccine’s severe side-effects are often found among those under 30 years old and could show up within five days of vaccination.

According to Pfizer, severe side-effects were found in 1,226 recipients of the total 300 million doses provided, averaging 4 people per one million doses.

Male recipients are three times more likely to have side-effects than females. There has been no record of death linked to the vaccine. - The Nation/Asia News Network