Fatalities, low vaccination of elderly matters of concern ahead of Songkran

13 Sept 06:16 Key points summarised by AI

Thailand's CCSA highlights high COVID-19 fatalities in the Northeast, predominantly among the elderly (93% of deaths), attributing this to their low triple-dose vaccination rate (only 37%).
Fears of vaccine side effects are dismissed, with official data showing extremely low rates of serious adverse events (0.9 per million doses) from 130 million administered doses.
The CCSA approved procuring Long-Acting Antibody (LAAB) medicine, a vaccine-like treatment for individuals with underlying diseases who don't respond to traditional vaccines, with ongoing talks to switch existing AstraZeneca orders.
The upcoming Songkran holiday is deemed a critical period for controlling infection rates, severe cases, and fatalities, emphasizing the importance of public compliance with safety measures.

Flooding persists in Bangkok and 22 provinces

Today 16:00 Key points summarised by AI

Persistent flooding continues across Bangkok and 22 Thai provinces, though water levels are gradually receding in many affected areas.
Over 604,000 families, impacting approximately 1.83 million people, are still grappling with the widespread flood conditions.
The national flood death toll has reached 80 since mid-September, with fatalities reported across various provinces.
Major regions like Pathum Thani, Ayutthaya, and Bangkok report significant numbers of affected households, with hundreds of thousands still in trouble.