14 May, 2021
Walk-in vaccination services will be part of a blanket, three-channel Covid-19 inoculation campaign to be launched by the government next month.
Deputy government spokeswoman Traisuree Taisaranakul said on Friday that Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha wanted to inoculate as many people as possible to minimise the risk of infection, severe illness and fatalities.
The national committee on vaccination resolved on May 12 that vaccination would be provided through three channels, including walk-in services where people will be vaccinated for free. Ms Traisuree said.
Preparations were now being made to put this plan into practice, she said.
Different provinces were at different levels of readiness, and information coming from them could be confusing, the spokeswoman said.
Gen Prayut was concerned about this, and had instructed local authorities to do a better job of informing the people.
Meanwhile, the government had lifted its target from procuring 100 million doses of coronavirus vaccines to 150 million doses, so there would be enough for everybody, she said.
Blanket vaccinations would begin in June through three channels - online registration via the Mor Prom (doctors ready) app; group registration through public health volunteers or other groups of officials, or private companies; and walk-ins by people.
Vaccines would be distributed through the three channels in the ratio of 30:50:20 respectively. However, this could be adjusted by provincial disease control committees, she said.
“Walk-in services for vaccination will certainly be opened, so that people who could not register online or did not make an appointment can still be inoculated.
"However, walk-in services will depend on the readiness of each area. The quantity of vaccine available and the virus situation must also taken into consideration in each area, such as in Bangkok," Ms Traisuree said.
Walk-in services may not be suitable in areas of high infection, where any gathering of people would increase the risk of contagion.
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration had therefore decided not to offer walk-in vaccination for the time being, but the service would certainly be offered as soon as circumstances allowed, she said.
