Currently, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has managed the COVID-19 vaccines allocated by the Royal Thai Government and distributed them to the target groups with the aim to reduce serious illness and prevent death. In the meantime, active case findings has been conducted together with the provision of vaccination service among the people at the highest number possible. This is considered the ultimate goal of effective outbreak control.
Regarding the BMA vaccine distribution plan among the target groups during the first phase, it is continued as planned. Still, the target groups are the medical and healthcare personnel, people with medical conditions in 7 chronic disease groups, the elderly aged 60 years and older, officers whose work is related to prevention and control of the spread of COVID-19, and people from occupational risk groups who have a chance to have close contact with patients.
People from the occupational risk groups who are also eligible for the first vaccine rollout includes garbage collectors who have close contact with infectious waste every day; teachers and education personnel with the reason that If teachers are infected with COVID-19, they can widely and rapidly spread the disease to students, student’s family, and people in communities; food delivery persons; and drivers of public transport vehicles. The BMA has already received the names and numbers of people in these occupational risk groups from organizations and agencies in charge of each occupational group.
However, at present, various COVID-19 clusters have been detected in several densely populated communities where social/physical distancing as well as other measures prescribed by the Government cannot be completely and realistically practiced. The BMA, therefore, does it best to expedite the active case finding to detect infected persons in communities and bring them to the proper treatment system. For those who have tested negative after nasal swab testing, they will specially get COVID-19 vaccine in order to reduce the severity of any possible outbreak that may occur in the future. Leaders of each community have already informed the names and numbers of vaccine recipients in this group to the BMA as well.
As for the news regarding walk-in vaccination services for the general public which was not included in both initial and ad hoc plans at the first place; at this moment, the BMA does not provide any walk-in vaccination services. The people are requested to wait for the allocation of vaccine according to the schedule announced by the Government, which is from May 31, 2021 onwards. For the people who wish to have vaccine but are inconvenient or cannot register via “MorProm” LINE official account, they can register for vaccination at all 11 hospitals under the BMA Medical Service Department or request for more information at the BMA Medical Service Department’s 1646 hotline. The BMA is ready to facilitate everyone.
