Thaitanic disaster

Re: “Is there a jab cover-up in Thailand?”, (BP, July 9).

Prof Thitinan Pongsudhirak’s article did a wonderful job of summarising why and how Thailand’s vaccination turned into an undeniably Titanic disaster. If I might add to what he said, more details have recently come to light which illustrate just how profoundly poorly the Prayut administration’s vaccination strategy has really failed.

Only yesterday, it was published that the Nikkei Asia Covid-19 Recovery Index has now classified Thailand as third from last in the world on Covid-19 management (#118 out of 120 nations surveyed). In fact, that rating places Thailand behind India on Covid-19 management. Yesterday, CNBC also published that six vaccinated countries have high Covid infection rates, and five of them relying on Chinese vaccines have high Covid infection rates. The last, England, relied on AstraZeneca, which is not an mRNA vaccine. Additionally, a number of world data sites identify only 8% of the Thai population as partially vaccinated, or roughly 4.5% fully vaccinated, and of those vaccinations, too few were mRNA vaccines, and many were Sinovac, so even increasing restrictions in Thailand have mainly still resulted in a fast escalation in Covid cases.

In summary, this moment in history is much like watching the Titanic after it flooded too many compartments. An utter disaster is mathematically now all but certain, and it is not likely that any belated, haphazard vaccines (often given with social, not medical priority to special people first) or other efforts can stop the unfolding, probably avoidable spread of this disastrous illness. As other nations reopen, Thailand now faces a historic, across-the-board disaster which will belong to the present administration forever. JASON A JELLISON