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Friday, May 10, 2024

Govt defends decision not to join Covax vaccine alliance

A woman takes a Covid-19 swab test during mass testing at the Pornpat wet market in Thanyaburi on Friday. (Photo by Pongpat Wongyala)

The government on Sunday defended its decision not to join the WHO-sponsored coronavirus vaccine programme, saying that to do so would risk the country paying more for the shots and facing uncertainty about delivery times.

The government has been criticised by opposition politicians and protesters for lacking transparency and being too slow in procuring vaccines. While the country of 66 million people has had low numbers of cases and deaths, it is dealing with a second wave of infections.

Frontline health workers are to begin receiving 2 million imported Chinese Sinovac shots within a month, but mass vaccinations for the general population are not due to begin until…

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