In January, over half of children who died in Thailand from Covid-19 were under five years old, and therefore too young to be vaccinated. Meanwhile, the number of deaths from Covid-19 surged following the Songkran holiday, according to a Chulalongkorn University lecturer. The lecturer, Dr. Thira Worathanarat, wrote in a Facebook post yesterday that Thailand has recorded the eighth-highest number of Covid-19 deaths in the world.
The country’s government urges parents to get vaccinated, and is instructing public hospitals to launch a special treatment system for children infected after the school year starts. Hospitals have been ordered to arrange beds, medical personnel and a transfer system in case of a rapid rise in the number of severely ill children. The government is also rushing to vaccinate children five to 11 years old in schools.
On Friday, PM Prayut Chan-o-cha called on schools to follow so-called ‘6-6-7’ safety measures for Covid-19. The first six measures of the plan include well known precautions such as social distancing, wearing masks, washing hands, and temperature checks. The next six measures include school check-in and check-out, surveys and examinations, and self-quarantine.
The next seven measures include strict practices such as doing activities in small groups, and preparing ‘sealed routes’ for students travelling to school. Schools must also constantly report to the Ministry of Education’s ‘MOE COVID’ app.
A government spokesperson said yesterday that the Omicron variant has caused the number of childhood Covid-19 infections to surge.
Some countries, such as Cambodia, have allowed children under five years old to be vaccinated. Other countries vaccinating children under five include China, Bahrain, and Cuba. China and Bahrain started targeting kids between three and 11 years old last year, while Cuba started vaccinating children as young as two.
Today, there area 17,784 new Covid-19 cases in Thailand, and 126 new deaths.
SOURCE: Straights Times | Worldometers