All inmates in Thai prisons will be vaccinated against Covid-19 starting next month. The announcement of the nationwide prison vaccination campaign follows this week’s nearly 3,000 inmates at 2 Bangkok prisons. There have also been outbreaks at prisons in Chiang Mai and the southern province of Narathiwat.
With Covid-19 spreading and infecting inmates at Thai prisons, human rights activists have called on Thai authorities to tackle the longstanding problem of overcrowded prisons and release inmates that are in court detention for minor or nonviolent crimes.
Many officials who work for the Department of Corrections, like guards who are in close contact with inmates, have already been vaccinated against the coronavirus. The department will start vaccinating inmates once another order of Covid-19 vaccines arrives in June.