The AstraZeneca vaccine being used to provide the third-dose booster jabs to those who had received Sinovac as the first two injections, explained Wanlapa Jirasangiamkul, Registered Nurse Head of Anesthesiology at Vachira Phuket Hospital.
“Today, the target is [to administer vaccination injections to] 3,500 people,” Ms Wanlapa said.
“So far we have not had any people experience side effects,” she added.
The people receiving vaccination injections today were frontline medical workers and volunteers, and officials working in direct contact with the general public.
“I would like all frontline personnel and volunteers to know that if side effects occur, it may be because the third dose vaccine is ‘live’. It is different from the first and second vaccine doses they have received. which is dead,” Ms Wanlapa said.
The Sinovac vaccine is an inactivated virus vaccine that uses dead SARS-CoV-2 virus cells to trigger an immune response from the body, while AstraZeneca is a viral vector vaccine that uses a live but harmless virus to introduce SARS-CoV-2 cells so that the body will trigger a immune response if exposed to the SARS-CoV-2 virus in the future.
“Everyone should download the MorProm app and submit the side effects they are experiencing, so our medical staff will know and the person will receive appropriate medical advice through the app,” she added.
Ms Wanlapa urged all people in the higher at-risk categories to register to be vaccinated.
“For all people aged 60 and over, or with any of the [recognised] seven chronic diseases as well as women more than 12 weeks pregnant, the centre recommends that all these people register through the Phuket Must Win website so they can be vaccinated, and be informed how they can receive the third-dose vaccination next,” she said.
Present for the occasion at the Indoor Sports Stadium in Saphan Hin today was Phuket Provincial Police Deputy Commander Col Aganit Danpitaksat, who also received his booster jab.
Col Aganit explained that he was present to oversee the rollout of the third-dose booster jabs to the officers assigned to staff the Phuket Check Point.
“I have also come to support the work of the staff at the vaccination service center here at Saphan Hin,” he said.
“Please follow the staff’s instructions. get enough rest and answer all questions from staff fully without concealing any personal information,” he said.
maverick | 11 September 2021 - 09:59:47