COVID-19 fight far from over, says PM
PRIME MINISTER PRAYUT Chan-o-cha has admitted that the end of the COVID-19 outbreak in Thailand is nowhere in sight and stressed the need for at-risk groups, now including unvaccinated young children, to get their vaccine shots as soon as possible.
Families with children aged five years and over should get them vaccinated to lower the chance of them developing more severe symptoms if infected with the coronavirus, he said on Apr 6.
A number of young children who died after contracting COVID-19 were found by health authorities to not have received any vaccination against the virus.
Prayut also urged those who have already recovered to continue observing their health carefully and watch for any sign of Long COVID, which may include muscle pains, a persistent cough, anxiety and depression.
In another development, five medical organisations issued a joint statement emphasising the need for people to get a booster shot and even a second booster while the country is still battling the health threat associated with the highly transmissible Omicron variant.
A booster in addition to two regular jabs has been proven to further reduce the risk of hospitalisation and infection of the lungs, which may require treatment in an intensive care unit and the use of a ventilator.
They are the Royal College of Physicians of Thailand, the Infectious Disease Association of Thailand, the Preventive Medicine Association of Thailand, the Thai Society of Critical Care Medicine, and the Thoracic Society of Thailand.