Exclusive-Thailand's elderly lag behind in COVID vaccination drive, data show

[snoop1130]

People line up to get vaccinated for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at the Central Vaccination Center as Thailand opens walk-in for first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccination scheme for elders, people with a minimum weight of 100 kilograms and pregnant women amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak in Bangkok, Thailand, July 23, 2021. Picture taken on July 23, 2021. REUTERS/Chalinee Thirasupa

 

BANGKOK (Reuters) -Just two weeks before her long-awaited vaccine appointment in Bangkok, Anyamanee Puttaraksa's 62-year-old mother became feverish. Three days later, her mother tested positive for COVID-19. Four hours afterward, she died.

 

Alongside Anyamanee's grief is anger at a vaccine rollout that has left the elderly among Thailand's least-vaccinated groups - a contrast to much of the rest of the world, where vulnerable older people have been a priority.

 

"If she had been vaccinated, her symptoms wouldn't have been so severe," Anyamanee said.

 

Government data analysed for the first time by Reuters shows Thailand has fully vaccinated 6.7% of an estimated 10.9 million people 60 and older, compared with 15% of adults aged 18 to 59 and 10.2% of the total population - including children, who are not being vaccinated.

 

Thailand was the only one of 30 countries for which Reuters reviewed data that had a lower percentage of seniors vaccinated than those in younger age groups.

 

Neighbouring Malaysia had fully vaccinated at least 82% of its senior citizens by Aug. 22, according to government data, compared with 45.6% of its total population to date. In Indonesia, only 17% of the elderly have been fully vaccinated, but that is still higher than the 13% for the total population.

 

Chawetsan Namwat, a senior official at the public health ministry's Department of Disease Control, said plans to prioritise the elderly shifted after a major outbreak in Bangkok and added that the relatively low rate of vaccinations in that age group could have led to more deaths among senior citizens.

 

Since April, people aged 60 and over have accounted for at least 62% of deaths in Thailand and about 8.7% of cases. The proportion of elderly deaths has risen, pointing to the possible impact of slow vaccinations.

 

In Indonesia, the elderly account for nearly 12% of cases, but only 47% of deaths.

 

Critics of Thailand's vaccination policy blame it in part for a spike to more than 10,000 deaths in a country where fewer than 100 people died of COVID-19 last year.

 

"The higher death toll now is a direct result of the failure to prioritise the elderly earlier," said Chris Potranandana, co-founder of Zendai, a volunteer group helping the old and the poor access COVID tests and treatment.

 

Chawetsan said that the higher number of deaths in the current outbreak corresponded with higher case numbers and that death rates were only slightly higher in this outbreak.

 

Since April, Thailand's case fatality rate - the ratio between confirmed deaths and confirmed cases - has nearly tripled to 0.96%, from the first two outbreaks' average of 0.33%, data analysed by Reuters show. The rate for the elderly is 7.2%, up from 4% earlier.

 

SHIFTING PRIORITIES

 

Although the government initially announced that the elderly would be a priority group for vaccinations, planning shifted from an age-based priority system to a geographically-based one after an outbreak in Bangkok in April.

 

But younger and working-age groups in the capital ended up being able to access vaccination centres more easily than senior citizens, resulting in lower inoculation rates for the elderly, Chawetsan said.

 

"We were going to prioritise the elderly but we didn't foresee the massive wave of infections from the Delta variant," Chawetsan said. "When that happened, we had to pool our supply for the risk area with high infection rates and vaccinate all age groups there to curb infections."

 

Bangkok was allocated a third of Thailand's vaccine supply when the country's mass rollout began in June, despite having only a tenth of the population, official data analysed by Reuters show.

 

Another chunk of vaccines went to the tourist island of Phuket, where a government plan to vaccinate all adults has allowed it to resume limited international tourism.

 

A chaotic start to the vaccine rollout could also have made it harder for the elderly, Potranandana said. Vaccination bookings were invited on a plethora of mobile apps and websites and sometimes cancelled at short notice or set far in the future because of vaccine shortages.

 

"Access wasn't oriented towards the elderly, who are the least technologically-savvy group," he said.

 

Chawetsan said early registration numbers were also low because of vaccine hesitancy among the elderly.

 

The government says it now aims to step up vaccinations for the elderly. Chawetsan said at 70% or more of senior citizens should have at least gotten their first doses by the end of September.

 

A concerted vaccination push in Bangkok now means 97% of senior citizens there have had at least one dose - higher than the 90% for the city's total population - with 7% of the elderly fully vaccinated.

 

Many families complain it came too late.

 

"They should have vaccinated the elderly right after health and frontline workers," said 18-year-old Thippawan Rodinthra, whose 78-year-old grandfather died of COVID-19 last month.

 

"Between grief and anger, I'm more angry at the government."

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2021-08-31

 

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[Gandtee]

But the old buggers in Parliament have been vaccinated!????

[Dmaxdan]

Disgusting.

The problem with the vaccine rollout here is in many cases it's not who you are but who you know that counts.

Nearly all the Thais I know in our village who have been vaccinated are between 20 and 40, most with "connections" to hi-so people or government employees who can pull the appropriate strings.

[EricTh]

This is so sad!

 

I saw some younger foreigners in Chiang Mai getting their shot when it should have been reserved for the elderly.

[mark131v]

54 minutes ago, Gandtee said:

But the old buggers in Parliament have been vaccinated!????

Yes most peculiar isn't it...

 

We all know the me first attitude afflicts very many Thai's to the exclusion of all else but that should have been picked up and acted on by their leaders

 

In a functioning democracy most would happily look after their vulnerable clearly that has not happened and it is purely down to this group of dimwits in charge at the moment

 

The sheer hypocrisy of Prayut and co in putting themselves to the front of the queue is nauseating in fact wasn't the great leader and his health minster amongst the first to be vaccinated

 

They're a disgrace and a constant reminder of why the cycle of coups must be broken and these lot hung from the lamppost's as an example to any future usurper's, won't hold my breath... 

[MrJ2U]

And many are getting Sinopharm.

 

"Sinopharm's COVID-19 shot offers weaker protection among elderly - study"

https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/sinopharms-covid-19-shot-offers-weaker-protection-among-elderly-study-2021-07-23/

 

[248900_1469958220]

And the Aussies are mass vaccinating 17 year olds.....Priorities are all wrong. Countries with good healthcare systems need to donate their supplies to less fortunate countries. Why does a 20 year old personal trainer get precedence over a 70 year old diabetic??? Does anyone know? This virus has hypnotised many previously intelligent people.....though I do wonder..

[Tropicalevo]

This is criminal.

Killing off the elderly so that the government, their families, the police, military and their HiSo friends are OK.

Some Thais have had four doses and yet the elderly are left to die.

The personal stories from their families are heart wrenching.

[mommysboy]

It's a disgrace.  But it's just got to be accepted as the way it is in Thailand, ie, total mess.  Utter madness to vaccinate youngsters before old uns.  Blood on their hands.

[RichardColeman]

9 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

BANGKOK (Reuters) -Just two weeks before her long-awaited vaccine appointment in Bangkok, Anyamanee Puttaraksa's 62-year-old mother became feverish. Three days later, her mother tested positive for COVID-19. Four hours afterward, she died.

 

Should wheel her mother's dead body into the senate and ask for an explanation !

[ourmanflint]

What an abysmal failure. It should have been so simple, oldest to youngest.

[hotchilli]

13 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Alongside Anyamanee's grief is anger at a vaccine rollout that has left the elderly among Thailand's least-vaccinated groups - a contrast to much of the rest of the world, where vulnerable older people have been a priority.

I thought the over 60's were the first priority group... 

or maybe the government had other ideas, like Phipats Phuket scam and a multitude of other wrong decisions.

[hotchilli]

13 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Government data analysed for the first time by Reuters shows Thailand has fully vaccinated 6.7% of an estimated 10.9 million people 60 and older, compared with 15% of adults aged 18 to 59 and 10.2% of the total population - including children, who are not being vaccinated.

I hope these stats are shown in the censure debate and Prayut gives his response as sole man in charge.

[hotchilli]

13 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Chawetsan Namwat, a senior official at the public health ministry's Department of Disease Control, said plans to prioritise the elderly shifted after a major outbreak in Bangkok and added that the relatively low rate of vaccinations in that age group could have led to more deaths among senior citizens.

So if the elderly in Bangkok were a high priority why were much needed vaccines given to Phuket?

 

[Stargeezr]

I agree, I lost some old Thai relatives, who were unable to get their shots, before they contacted COVID. The PM and his cronies 

have a lot of lost elder lives on their hands.   Shame on them all!!!    They got their shots, including watch man, and likely all of

their elderly relatives, but forget the rest of the elderly population in Thailand.  It may be a developing country, as some do not

like me saying third world country,  but they seem pretty backward to me.  I hope that the Pfizer, Moderna, and J & J plus AZ vaccines

all arrived and get into lots of arms before this year is over.  China should be ashamed that it does not have a better vaccine developed,

to fight the variants that are all over the world.  I guess it would be foolish to think that China would be able to have anything

so advanced.  Yes that is sarcasm directed to China.

Geezer

 

[hotchilli]

14 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Although the government initially announced that the elderly would be a priority group for vaccinations, planning shifted from an age-based priority system to a geographically-based one after an outbreak in Bangkok in April.

And Phipats master plan down south.

[hotchilli]

14 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

"Between grief and anger, I'm more angry at the government."

So at the age of 18 I hope you make a wise choice in any future ballot.

Sorry for the loss in your family.

[Denim]

I think one of the main reasons for this is an over reliance on smartphones and apps to register for a vaccination.

 

Many elderly people here , particularly in the provinces are not tech savvy in any way.  Many are barely literate and we often see them outside the bank struggling to use the ATM machine. On pension days the bank has to have an employee standing by the ATM machine to help them with their transactions.

 

This being the case, unless they have a much younger family member on hand who has a smartphone to register and then take them to get vaccinated , they simply fall through the cracks and remain unvaccinated.

 

Nothing about this vaccine roll out has been thought through properly by competent people with the correct objectives. On the news last night was a report about a hospital that had 200 Pfizer vaccines up for grabs on a walk in basis not requiring registration. Over 1000 thousand people turned up and were crushed around the entrance like sardines, all pressed up against each other. No system no order just pure pandemonium. People exposing themselves to catching the virus in order to be vaccinated against it. Madness.

[peleid]

Yes, I agree with that, 68 year old, registered on all the sites, not a dicky bird

[Tarteso]

1 hour ago, hotchilli said:

I hope these stats are shown in the censure debate and Prayut gives his response as sole man in charge.

Nothing will happen, This is pure theater, Pantomime.  Don’t forget he is, like many in the world,  a Dictator… Untouchable

 

 

 

Edited September 1, 2021 by Tarteso

[Almer]

This is not a government defence post, who  should be criticised for any failure, many posters will and are knocking there poor treatment of the elderly who it is known are most at risk, but lets not forget the UK a hugely developed high spending against Covid country literally took all there seniors out of hospitals and dumped them untested into care homes to make way for younger people. 

I hope the Chan-O-Cha enjoys his censure debate today. 

[Scrotobike]

16 hours ago, Dmaxdan said:

Disgusting.

The problem with the vaccine rollout here is in many cases it's not who you are but who you know that counts.

Nearly all the Thais I know in our village who have been vaccinated are between 20 and 40, most with "connections" to hi-so people or government employees who can pull the appropriate strings.

Add to that the reallocation from the old to the useless sandbox so the HiSos could make a few bhat and the many wasted on factories (instead of shutting them for 3 weeks) - you get a real policy that murders the old

 

Yes murders - it was known that vaccinating the old saved lives - so actively not vaccinating them costs lives.

[mommysboy]

1 hour ago, Denim said:

I think one of the main reasons for this is an over reliance on smartphones and apps to register for a vaccination.

 

Many elderly people here , particularly in the provinces are not tech savvy in any way.  Many are barely literate and we often see them outside the bank struggling to use the ATM machine. On pension days the bank has to have an employee standing by the ATM machine to help them with their transactions.

 

This being the case, unless they have a much younger family member on hand who has a smartphone to register and then take them to get vaccinated , they simply fall through the cracks and remain unvaccinated.

 

Nothing about this vaccine roll out has been thought through properly by competent people with the correct objectives. On the news last night was a report about a hospital that had 200 Pfizer vaccines up for grabs on a walk in basis not requiring registration. Over 1000 thousand people turned up and were crushed around the entrance like sardines, all pressed up against each other. No system no order just pure pandemonium. People exposing themselves to catching the virus in order to be vaccinated against it. Madness.

Malaysia obviously didn't need smartphones.  Some might call it a cynical ploy to disenfranchise the elderly, others rank incompetence, still more sheer miserly. Choose your own from a long list of adjectives: vile, despicable, cowardly, politically expedient, corrupt, absurd, weak, or just plain wrong.  So, it would appear only a fraction of the 10 million or so truly vulnerable elderly have been vaccinated.  These are the people that really need the vaccine, that can benefit the most, that will end up gasping for breath without it, while Thailand opens up to tourism, irrespective of the consequences.  Quite possibly, 20 million doses or more have been dispensed to people who don't really need it, and where the return in death prevention is minimal in human terms anyway, so that Thailand can present it's usual smiling face in a few shiny locations.  If there is any justice, the iniquities will be well publicized in the west, and another digital culture, the cancelling one, will come to the forefront- visit Thailand, enjoy your stay, knowing thousands of old people will be paying with their lives in the most torturous way.  My adjective : evil.... will do.

[mommysboy]

3 minutes ago, Almer said:

This is not a government defence post, who  should be criticised for any failure, many posters will and are knocking there poor treatment of the elderly who it is known are most at risk, but lets not forget the UK a hugely developed high spending against Covid country literally took all there seniors out of hospitals and dumped them untested into care homes to make way for younger people. 

I hope the Chan-O-Cha enjoys his censure debate today. 

Don't defend the indefensible by reference to something else that is indefensible!

[Almer]

2 hours ago, hotchilli said:

So if the elderly in Bangkok were a high priority why were much needed vaccines given to Phuket?

 

Choice if 3 answers

 

1.    Money

2.   Money

3.   Money

 

[Almer]

3 minutes ago, mommysboy said:

Don't defend the indefensible by reference to something else that is indefensible!

I think i understand 

[actonion]

Vaccinate the younger ones first, it is those people who move about a lot transfering  the virus  to the elders when they return home.

 

The elders tend to stay home more

[mommysboy]

9 minutes ago, Almer said:

I think i understand 

Try harder! It's not that difficult.

 

Don't excuse something bad, by talking about something else that is bad.

 

Or to give an example, if I shoot someone can I excuse that by pointing out that it's not so bad because the same happened today in another country?

 

 

[Misty]

1 hour ago, actonion said:

Vaccinate the younger ones first, it is those people who move about a lot transfering  the virus  to the elders when they return home.

 

The elders tend to stay home more

And the elders tend to get sicker and die more

[Aussieroaming]

The truth of the matter is that Thailand decided to vacinate based on economics as a priority, no geographical.

 

The priority was in no particular order, Phuket for the "sandbox", Koh Samui whatever they called the program, Thai Medical staff (as it should be ),Thai employees of large companies.

 

This article is merely more lies to hide the fact that old and vulnerable citizens were never deemed as important as the economically driven vaccinations