Health officials are anticipating bracing for a bad influenza season, and state hospitals will offer free vaccines to at-risk groups starting Thursday.
About 3.4 million vaccines have been prepared for health workers, seniors over 65, women pregnant more than four months, toddlers 6 months to 2 years old and patients with chronic diseases and compromised immune systems. Others considered at risk are people with diabetes, asthma or heart disease, or who have had a stroke.
Flu vaccines are also available for a fee to anyone not in the identified risk groups.
State-run facilities include Chulalongkorn, Rajavithi, Siriraj and Ramathibodi hospitals.
People not included in the high-risk groups can get the flu vaccine at both state and private hospitals for a fee, according to the Bangkok Post.
The vaccines are intended to protect against the H1N1 swine flu and its H3N2/B strains 15 days after they are taken. Side effects include a 48-hour period of exhaustion, according to the Ministry of Public Health.
More than 30,000 cases of swine flu have been reported, and at least 50 people have died of the disease so far this year.
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30,000 Thais diagnosed with H1N1
Swine flu vaccines readied for young, old, moms and the ill
