70K expats sign for shots

Almost 70,000 foreign residents have registered for Covid-19 jabs through the expatvac website, according to the Foreign Ministry.

Vaccination appointments have so far been made for 47,794 expatriates, ministry spokesman Tanee Sangrat said.

The website (expatvac.consular.go.th) was launched on Aug 1 by the Foreign Affairs Ministry and the Public Health Ministry for foreign residents of all age groups nationwide to register for their first dose.

The accumulated number of foreign residents registered as of Tuesday was 69,441, he said.

About 80% or 55,560 are under 60 years old.

Some, 6% (4,628) suffer from one of the seven high-risk health conditions and 0.4% (337) are pregnant women.

Filipinos topped the nationality table with 7,882 people.

According to Chawetsan Namwat, director of the Public Health Ministry’s Health Hazard and Disease Control Division, the ministry has allocated enough doses for foreign residents who registered with the expatvac site.

“Our duty is to distribute vaccines according to the request by the Foreign Ministry so I encourage expatriates who have not yet received the vaccine to register on the website,” he said.