Thai Children Now Receive Free Pneumococcal Vaccine to Protect Against Pneumonia and Meningitis
Thailand has made pneumococcal vaccine free for all children starting April 30, 2025, protecting against pneumonia, meningitis, and blood infections through the government's public health program.
Thai children now have access to free pneumococcal vaccine to protect against pneumonia and meningitis, with the program taking effect from April 30 onwards. On May 6, 2025, Deputy Government Spokesperson Lalida Perischvivat revealed that the government is advancing preventive healthcare by designating the Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV) as a covered public health service for Thai children, with official enforcement beginning the day after its publication in the Royal Gazette on April 30, 2025. The key objective is to ensure all Thai children have equitable and effective access to essential vaccines, funded through the NHSO budget to reduce the risk of serious infectious diseases including pneumonia, meningitis, and blood infections—major causes of illness and death in young children. PCV vaccination services began on March 2, 2025, as an official health promotion and disease prevention program. Perischvivat stated that investing in prevention before treatment reduces long-term public health costs and ensures Thai children grow up healthy and protected from serious diseases, improving child welfare from the start while promoting equitable vaccine access, reducing inequality, and building a sustainable, resilient healthcare system.
