On 25 February 2022, H.E. Mr. Anutin Charnvirakul, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Health of Thailand, joined the international community in calling for universal vaccination against COVID-19 to put an end to the pandemic during the High-level thematic debate on “Galvanizing momentum for universal vaccination” initiated by the President of the 76th Session of the General Assembly.

In his statement, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Health showed concerns on the inequitable access to vaccination between high-income and lower-income countries, while expressing Thailand’s interest in donating vaccines to African countries. He also highlighted Thailand’s leading role for ASEAN Vaccine Security and Self-Reliance emphasized the importance of securing local and regional vaccine availability.