Thai virus epicentre aims to vaccinate majority of its residents, Asia News & Top Stories

BANGKOK (BLOOMBERG) – Thailand plans to inoculate the majority of the adult population in Bangkok in the coming months to quell a flareup in virus infections that’s made the capital city the epicentre of the nation’s biggest Covid-19 outbreak.

More than 7 million residents will be able to get their shots at hospitals, malls, gymnasiums and mobile vaccine units, according to Sophon Mekthon, vice minister of public health.

With only about 5 per cent of Bangkok’s adult population currently vaccinated, the goal is to reach 70 per cent as soon as possible, he said.

Thai authorities are adding all Bangkok residents to the priority groups, which include senior citizens, as the city accounts for the bulk of the nation’s new cases and as more vaccines become available.

The Southeast Asian nation, which was largely successful in containing the pandemic for much of last year, has been hit by…