Thailand to hit 100 million doses

Shot in the arm: A medical worker administering a vaccine dose to a student at a vaccination centre in southern Pattani province. — AFP

The country is poised to hit a milestone this weekend in its national vaccination drive, with the 100 millionth jab administered, bringing the number of those fully vaccinated in the country to 60% of the population.

But with about 10 million people yet to get their first doses and the emergence of the new, possibly more transmissible Omicron variant, the authorities are stepping up efforts to dispel vaccine hesitancy and fake news in regions of concern, such as the deep south which has been racked by a long-running separatist insurgency for years.