Myanmar migrant workers count on vaccination to get back to work

Mae Sot is a Thai town close to the Myanmar border. The border reopened in August 2021, allowing Burmese migrant workers in Thailand to return home. This special economic zone has been home to Myanmar people of all ages – from newly born children to grandparents. 

As Thailand began opening its borders, welcoming back thousands of Myanmar people who work in Thailand’s factories, farms and homes, WHO Thailand joined the Department of Disease Control (DDC), Ministry of Public Health, to find out if these returning migrants were educated about protective measures from COVID-19, and what more could be done to ensure infections are minimised.

In November, DDC carried out a survey among the Myanmar migrant workers in this area to identify their knowledge, attitude, risk perception and health behavioral practices regarding COVID-19, and find out if they’d received any COVID-19 vaccine. The survey was carried out to inform the Thai government of any specific prevention and control measures required for these people, and to determine if a COVID-19 vaccination program needed to be established for Myanmar migrant workers. 

The activity is part of a project titled ‘Enhancing Risk Communication and Community Engagement Among Thai and Non-Thai People on COVID-19 Vaccine Communication’ technically supported by WHO and funded by the Australian Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

The survey reached out to 500 people from a variety of groups, including migrants with one-day passes working at Mae Sot border checkpoints, local communities, and Myanmar workers in Thailand from agriculture and manufacturing sectors. 

During the two-day visit, over 3,000 migrant workers were also vaccinated by Thailand’s Mae Sot district health office, with the support of local healthcare professionals and volunteer organisations.  

"The Ministry of Public Health realised how important it is to take care of the health of migrant workers in Thailand. Results from the survey will be used to inform policy recommendations on COVID-19 prevention and response for these migrant populations," said Dr Pahurat Khongmuang Taisuwan, the project manager and the Director of the Secretariat Office of the Royal Development Projects Committee, Department of Disease Control, Ministry of Public Health. 

Just 19 years old, Aung Kyaw Phyo took responsibility for sharing COVID-19 news among his community. A former Myanmar language teacher to kids in the migrant community, he learned about the virus from online media and shared news and personal prevention measures with his students and the community while also giving away masks to those in need. He used his knowledge to make sure his family got vaccinated to protect them from COVID-19.

Ma Po has lived most of her life in Thailand – 20 years in total. Now 30 years old with two young sons, she is currently looking for work after losing her job due to the pandemic. She has built a good reputation over the years as a caretaker for bedridden patients, but for now, she has to wait. Ma Po hopes the situation will improve soon so that she can return to work.   

Even when people have been vaccinated it doesn’t mean they aren’t taking precautions. Every day, Sang Fang Win wears her mask, cleans her hands, and maintains a safe distance from customers when she’s selling fruit, even though she’s been fully vaccinated. She’s been in Thailand for 14 years but only moved to Mae Sot from Bangkok when COVID-19 infections rose sharply. 

Many Myanmar migrant workers have spent years in Thailand but Seya has been in the country for just seven months. During this time, she got infected with COVID-19. She’s been lucky, as her employer allowed her to take one-month paid sick leave while she isolated herself at home with her housemate.

19-year-old assistant car mechanic Min works in the Mae Sot Free Zone. He takes health precautions seriously and wears a mask and cleans his hands more regularly than usual to prevent himself from contracting COVID-19.

Lumma is a driver who regularly crosses the border, but COVID-19 stopped him in his tracks when borders closed and there was less need from him to drive. With a precarious job, Lumma, 26, is unvaccinated, but he was able to book an appointment for him and his family. Once vaccinated, he hopes to schedule more trips so he can support his family. 

46-year-old A Ma Win lives in Myanmar and has been working at the border for more than ten years. He transports oxygen tanks back and forth and has managed to avoid catching COVID-19.  He is fully vaccinated and still wears a mask and washes his hands often to prevent COVID-19 infection.   

Zaw (man in orange jacket), 51, is looking for a place to be vaccinated. He also left Bangkok with his family of five when COVID-19 outbreaks peaked there. Now he earns a daily wage working on a farm in Mae Sot. In Bangkok he was employed as a pickup driver. 

Kriengsak Armeen and his wife Wahe Dao restarted their street food business five days ago after a long break triggered by the pandemic. Every day, he encourages others to get the vaccine to protect themselves and the community, while still trying to secure a vaccination appointment in Mae Sot for himself. 

The border closure meant he was unable to work for almost a year, a difficult situation for a dad of three like him. His wife, Wahe Dao, has been infected with COVID-19 and suffered mild symptoms. Now she’s waiting for her second jab. Kriengsak thinks that vaccination can protect him and his family, and will help him to fully resume a working life. 

Ko shows his bi-lingual vaccination record card. He has lived in Thailand for more than 20 years, running his own vegetable export business by transporting produce to Myanmar. Orders dropped and transportation time increased, having a huge effect on his business. During the peak of the COVID-19 outbreak, he stayed at home with his family to prevent them from being infected, taking ATK tests every 15 days. 

Now that all of his family have been vaccinated in Thailand,  he’s keen for everyone to get access to vaccines to protect the community. 

Bew, 45, came with a maize farm owner to get vaccinated at the vaccination site organised by Mae Sot district health office. She’s pleased to have been vaccinated.

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Original article published on WHO Thailand.