Thailand has postponed the public vaccination of its prime minister with the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine after three European countries paused their rollout of the jab owing to health concerns.
Prayuth Chan-ocha and members of his government had been scheduled to receive the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, which is Thailand’s core immunisation response to Covid-19, in a Friday morning ceremony at the kingdom’s health ministry. Reporters who had gathered at the scene were informed of the delay only after they arrived.
Thailand is the first Asian country to temporary halt the vaccination drive. Health authorities said they had suspended the rollout after “side effects or adverse symptoms” were observed in some people who received it.