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A Singaporean's guide to living in Thailand
- Thread starter Leongsam
- Start date
AstraZeneca delays 61m doses
Govt vaccine rollout dealt further blowBangkok Post 16 JUL 2021 AT 04:00
NEWSPAPER SECTION: NEWS
WRITER: NATTAYA CHETCHOTIROS
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A health worker administers Covid-19 vaccine by AstraZeneca at the Bang Sue Grand Station in Bangkok last month. (Photo: Varuth Hirunyatheb)
The move is expected to disrupt the country's already-slow vaccine rollout further.
In an interview with the Bangkok Post, Mr Sathit said the delivery timeline originally scheduled for the end of this year looks like it will be delayed until May next year, though the company has promised to try its best to stick to the original schedule.
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"Normally, a vaccine manufacturer does not make such a commitment. It will do it if possible. But the company does not have enough production capacity to respond to rising global demand," Mr Sathit said.
But if any country that has placed orders for AstraZeneca vaccines is able to procure vaccines from other manufacturers first, the government will negotiate with the company to deliver the vaccines to Thailand instead, Mr Sathit said.
He added the company will deliver one-third of its output to Thailand, though Thailand has tried to negotiate for as many doses as possible, or 40% of the vaccines produced in the country.
"Currently, we have administered the doses that are available to us. This month, we have procured 10 million doses so it is still going according to plan," Mr Sathit said.
Under the original vaccine roadmap, the AstraZeneca vaccines, made by local licensed manufacturer Siam Bioscience, would provide the government with 10 million doses of the vaccine each month from July until the end of the year.
But the government recently admitted the company can supply Thailand only 5-6 million doses a month, or one third of its total supply, while the rest will be exported.
The government said on Wednesday it is considering regulations to limit its Covid-19 vaccine export quota from the country without specifying the vaccine name.
"We have to wait for AstraZeneca vaccines day by day. That's not easy because the vaccine market is dominated by big companies worth more than our annual budget," said Mr Sathit.
He said the government may have a timeline for the delivery of 100 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine this year, mainly from AstraZeneca and together with Sinovac and Pfizer vaccines.
"The Department of Disease Control (DDC) will sign a contract on July 16 with Pfizer to procure 20 million doses. The Government Pharmaceutical Organization will also sign a deal with Moderna for five million doses next week," Mr Sathit said.
All will be delivered in October. This will be the vaccine rollout planned for next year," he added.
Supant Mongkolsuthree, chairman of the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI), on Thursday said he will meet Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul next week to seek clarification on supplies of AstraZeneca vaccines.
The government previously promised that 10 million doses would arrive last month and 10 million more would be delivered this month. But as it happens, the number has fallen short, and only 10% of workers in the business sector have been vaccinated, Mr Supant said.
Government spokesman Anucha Burapachaisri said Prime Minister Prayut has assured the public that AstraZeneca and Sinovac vaccines, which are the country's main vaccines, and Sinopharm, which is an alternative vaccine, are effective against the worst effects of Covid-19.
The government also plans to import mRNA vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna, as well as viral vector vaccines from Johnson & Johnson, to ensure there is a wide range of safe and effective vaccines for Thais, the spokesman said.
"We are actively working with the government in Thailand and governments across Southeast Asia to continue to deliver equitable vaccine access to the region," AstraZeneca said.
Covid patients overflow into hospital car park as cases surge in Bangkok
Photos of Covid-19 patients lying in a hospital car park next to biohazard dumpsters underlined the critical shortage of beds in Bangkok on Friday.
The photos were posted on the Facebook page of “sleepless” celebrity medic Mor Lab Panda.
They reveal a chaotic scene as dozens of patients lie on mats or sit on plastic chairs in the car park of PMG Hospital. Some are sprawled close to orange biohazard dumpsters that are overflowing with dangerous waste. Liquid can be seen leaking from the biohazard bins.
The photos were taken by Facebook user Pawezi Naraporn.
A guard at the hospital said numerous people in the car park had been left waiting because of a shortage of ambulances.
Some S'poreans in Thailand opt to wait for preferred Covid-19 vaccines
Tan Tam Mei
Thailand Correspondent
- Straits Times PUBLISHED
4 HOURS AGO
"When peers (in our age group) in Singapore started getting vaccinated, we became kancheong ('overly anxious' in Cantonese)," said housewife Christine Lee, 35, who lives in Bangkok with her husband and young children.
She had tried to use the Thai government portal set up for foreigners to register for Covid-19 vaccines last month, but faced problems with the online application.
Fortunately, she and her husband managed to get the AstraZeneca vaccine through the latter's employer.
There is also the question of getting the "vaccine of choice" for some of the Singaporeans, as Thailand relies mostly on locally made AstraZeneca and China's Sinovac.
Other vaccines, like the mRNA-based Moderna, are deemed alternative vaccines and are offered by private hospitals at a price.
"I would prefer the mRNA vaccines, but there's no choice if we want to get vaccinated quickly. We are even more scared of getting Covid-19," said Mr Jessman Khor, 40, who received his first AstraZeneca dose earlier this week.
Last month, Mr Khor, who runs an online business, set up a chat group for Singaporeans in Thailand on messenger app Line to facilitate discussion on vaccinations. There are about 120 members.
"Many of us didn't know where to go or what to do," he said.
While there is the option of returning to Singapore to get vaccinated, Mr Khor said there were financial, logistical and job constraints for many in the group, preventing them from leaving Thailand.
"I weighed my options and it wasn't cost effective," said Mr Khor about returning home. He lives in Samut Prakan province with his son, aged two, and his Thai national wife.
There are some who are holding out for the mRNA shots. A Singaporean who works in hospitality and wanted to be known only as Dan, 28, said he would not take the AstraZeneca or Sinovac vaccines.
"If I'm going to take such a new vaccine, I want to take one with the highest efficacy," he said.
Dan is also worried that if he is vaccinated with shots other than those used in Singapore, it could mean being regarded as unvaccinated when he returns home.
Last month, he placed a 2,400 baht (S$99) deposit to secure a slot for the Moderna vaccine with a private hospital here. "I'm told it's coming in October," he said. "I can wait, I don't think I'm at risk now."
Anxiety over Covid-19 vaccination amid tight supplies, efficacy doubts in Thailand
Tan Tam Mei
Thailand Correspondent
- Straits Times PUBLISHED
4 HOURS AGO
The kingdom initially set a monthly target to administer 10 million doses when it started its nationwide roll-out last month, but insufficient stocks of locally produced AstraZeneca vaccines have hindered this goal and sent residents turning to other avenues for their jabs.
In the latest blow on Thursday (July 15), AstraZeneca asked to extend the delivery timeline for the 61 million doses meant to be supplied to Thailand by five months, from December to May next year.
"We must negotiate with them because in this situation we need more vaccines," said Deputy Health Minister Sathit Pitutacha as the kingdom battles the worst wave yet of the coronavirus, with new infections hovering near 10,000 daily.
Since February, Thailand has administered around 13 million doses of mostly AstraZeneca and Sinovac vaccines, and only about 5 per cent of its over 66 million population have been fully vaccinated.
Earlier this week, the Thai government said it would mix doses of Sinovac and AstraZeneca, while a new preliminary Thai study raised doubts about the longer-term efficacy of the Sinovac vaccine.
In an effort to shore up the immunity of healthcare workers against the fast-spreading Delta variant, Thailand also plans to give booster shots of Pfizer or AstraZeneca to those who are already fully inoculated with Sinovac. The authorities say 618 of the 677,348 medical personnel who received the Chinese-developed vaccine were infected with Covid-19.
The dent in public perception of the effectiveness of Sinovac, and concerns over vaccine supplies have driven some Thais to explore other ways of getting vaccination.
For those who can afford to travel, getting inoculated in other countries like the United States is an option. Locally there has been a mad rush to secure mRNA-based Moderna shots in private hospitals, which cost about 3,000 baht (S$124) for the two-shot regime.
Ms Tarruthai Thamvongsin, 38, is among the handful of Thai citizens who went overseas to get vaccinated. She flew to the US in April with her husband and managed to get Pfizer doses in California.
"We weren't sure when we would get the vaccine in Thailand, and waiting made us even more paranoid. We thought it was better to get vaccinated as soon as possible," said Ms Tarruthai, who owns a food and beverage business.
She said the process in the US was simple. She made an appointment online and turned up at a pharmacy for the free vaccination.
She spent about US$10,000 (S$13,600) on the flight, accommodation and daily expenses.
In recent months, the Thai authorities have been trying to procure more vaccines and diversify the types offered. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines received emergency approval in the last two months, but are not offered in the national vaccine drive at the moment.
The country is expected to receive 20 million doses from Pfizer at the end of the year. The US will also be donating 1.5 million Pfizer doses.
Some S'poreans in Thailand opt to wait for preferred Covid-19 vaccines
Bureaucracy, distribution challenges hinder Covid-19 inoculation in Indonesia
Private hospitals in Thailand, via a state procurement programme, will get five million doses of the Moderna vaccine between this year and next.One Thai national, who wanted to go by only her nickname Tilly, has a state vaccination appointment scheduled for later this month, but she has some reservations.
"If on that day I find out that they will be giving me Sinovac, I'm getting out of there," said Tilly, a former air stewardess in her 30s.
As "backup", she has placed a 2,400 baht deposit with the private Thonburi Healthcare Group for two doses of the Moderna vaccine in October.
South-east Asia's Covid-19 vaccine scramble
Long queues for Covid-19 vaccines as infections soar in Indonesia
"I want a vaccination that lasts and can counter the Delta variant," said Tilly, who is not alone in seeking one through alternative means.Last week, 1,800 slots for the Moderna vaccine were snapped up in minutes when Phyathai Hospital put them up for sale on e-commerce platform Shopee.
What's the speed limit?
Irrelevant. With left hand doing pic and right on steering?
That stretch was 120
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2150423/fate-of-100m-dose-vaccination-hangs-in-the-air
Fate of 100m-dose vaccination hangs in the air
Leaked letters show AstraZeneca may not be to blame for shortfall
published : 17 Jul 2021 at 18:21
A health worker holds a vial of AstraZeneca vaccine at a gymnasium inside Thammasat University in Pathum Thani on June 7, the day Thailand started its mass inoculation campaign. (Reuters photo)
Leaked correspondence between the Thai government and the Covid-19 vaccine manufacturer AstraZeneca has raised a big question about the former’s commitment to administer 100 million doses by the end of this year.
Isra News Agency on Saturday posted a letter sent by Sjoerd Hubben, vice-president for global corporate affairs of AstraZeneca Inc, to Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul 22 days ago.
The letter explains to the ministry that the most Thailand would get from the European drugmaker’s local contract manufacturer would 5-6 million doses a month, which is consistent with their earlier discussions.
Siam Bioscience Co Ltd, a company owned by His Majesty the King, was retooled to manufacture the vaccine. The government subsidised 600 million baht for the upgrade and officials later said the company would pay back the sum in the form of shots.
The letter caught many by surprise since the government had repeated many times that 100 million doses would be administered by the end of the year to inoculate at least 70% of the population, with 61 million of them being locally produced AstraZeneca.
On various occasions, the government assured people that AstraZeneca would supply at least 10 million doses a month for the rest of the year.
The question that naturally followed is what vaccines the government would buy to achieve that goal, especially when all sides have agreed that Sinovac, which is the most readily available, cannot effectively shield against the Delta variant of the coronavirus. Sinovac also costs at least four times more than AstraZeneca.
According to the letter, the Ministry of Public Health to date has placed two orders for 61 million doses of AZ vaccine in total. The first, concluded in January this year, was for 26 million doses, and the second, closed in May this year, was for 35 million doses.
These 61 million doses were part of the 175 million that Siam Bioscience has been contracted to make. Thailand is to get 34.9% of its output, or 5-6 million doses a month. The rest will be shipped to other countries, AstraZeneca says in the letter.
Furthermore, the letter revealed that in early September last year the government was committed to buying only 3 million doses a month. Therefore, AZ says it hopes Thailand should be pleased that it is now receiving 5-6 million doses a month.
The company also mentioned that it had urged the government back in September last year to enter the Covax vaccine-sharing facility, along with buying directly from manufacturers. Thailand is one of a handful of developing countries that have not joined Covax.
The dates when the agreements were actually concluded, as mentioned in the letter, also raised eyebrows. It showed the agreement for the second batch of 35 million doses was concluded as recently as May this year, even though the third wave has been raging through the country since the start of April.
Mr Anutin told Isra that Thailand had in fact reserved the supply early this year. In any case, the cabinet approved the budget for it on March 5 and it took two months after that to sign the agreement.
Dr Nakorn Premsri, director of the National Vaccine Institute, on July 2 was the first to reveal the shortfall of AstraZeneca supplies.
Deputy Public Health Minister Sathit Pitutecha also admitted on Thursday that AstraZeneca would not be able to deliver all 61 million doses under the two contracts until May next year. The original deadline was supposed to have been December.
Contrary to what people had assumed earlier, he said 10 million doses a month was in fact Thailand’s capacity to vaccinate people, not the number of vaccines it would get from AstraZeneca. He said the company had seen the vaccination plan but had said nothing.
The revelation had led some Thais to think it was AstraZeneca that had failed to honour the contract, potentially derailing the country’s immunisation plan.
The Opposition even urged the government to exercise its authority under the vaccine law to ban exports of Thai-made vaccines when there are shortages in the country.
Fate of 100m-dose vaccination hangs in the air
Leaked letters show AstraZeneca may not be to blame for shortfall
published : 17 Jul 2021 at 18:21
A health worker holds a vial of AstraZeneca vaccine at a gymnasium inside Thammasat University in Pathum Thani on June 7, the day Thailand started its mass inoculation campaign. (Reuters photo)
Leaked correspondence between the Thai government and the Covid-19 vaccine manufacturer AstraZeneca has raised a big question about the former’s commitment to administer 100 million doses by the end of this year.
Isra News Agency on Saturday posted a letter sent by Sjoerd Hubben, vice-president for global corporate affairs of AstraZeneca Inc, to Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul 22 days ago.
The letter explains to the ministry that the most Thailand would get from the European drugmaker’s local contract manufacturer would 5-6 million doses a month, which is consistent with their earlier discussions.
Siam Bioscience Co Ltd, a company owned by His Majesty the King, was retooled to manufacture the vaccine. The government subsidised 600 million baht for the upgrade and officials later said the company would pay back the sum in the form of shots.
The letter caught many by surprise since the government had repeated many times that 100 million doses would be administered by the end of the year to inoculate at least 70% of the population, with 61 million of them being locally produced AstraZeneca.
On various occasions, the government assured people that AstraZeneca would supply at least 10 million doses a month for the rest of the year.
The question that naturally followed is what vaccines the government would buy to achieve that goal, especially when all sides have agreed that Sinovac, which is the most readily available, cannot effectively shield against the Delta variant of the coronavirus. Sinovac also costs at least four times more than AstraZeneca.
According to the letter, the Ministry of Public Health to date has placed two orders for 61 million doses of AZ vaccine in total. The first, concluded in January this year, was for 26 million doses, and the second, closed in May this year, was for 35 million doses.
These 61 million doses were part of the 175 million that Siam Bioscience has been contracted to make. Thailand is to get 34.9% of its output, or 5-6 million doses a month. The rest will be shipped to other countries, AstraZeneca says in the letter.
Furthermore, the letter revealed that in early September last year the government was committed to buying only 3 million doses a month. Therefore, AZ says it hopes Thailand should be pleased that it is now receiving 5-6 million doses a month.
The company also mentioned that it had urged the government back in September last year to enter the Covax vaccine-sharing facility, along with buying directly from manufacturers. Thailand is one of a handful of developing countries that have not joined Covax.
The dates when the agreements were actually concluded, as mentioned in the letter, also raised eyebrows. It showed the agreement for the second batch of 35 million doses was concluded as recently as May this year, even though the third wave has been raging through the country since the start of April.
Mr Anutin told Isra that Thailand had in fact reserved the supply early this year. In any case, the cabinet approved the budget for it on March 5 and it took two months after that to sign the agreement.
Dr Nakorn Premsri, director of the National Vaccine Institute, on July 2 was the first to reveal the shortfall of AstraZeneca supplies.
Deputy Public Health Minister Sathit Pitutecha also admitted on Thursday that AstraZeneca would not be able to deliver all 61 million doses under the two contracts until May next year. The original deadline was supposed to have been December.
Contrary to what people had assumed earlier, he said 10 million doses a month was in fact Thailand’s capacity to vaccinate people, not the number of vaccines it would get from AstraZeneca. He said the company had seen the vaccination plan but had said nothing.
The revelation had led some Thais to think it was AstraZeneca that had failed to honour the contract, potentially derailing the country’s immunisation plan.
The Opposition even urged the government to exercise its authority under the vaccine law to ban exports of Thai-made vaccines when there are shortages in the country.
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Stay safe in BKK, Khun Froggy and Khun YinYang. You’re probably vacc’ed up by now but still be careful ya.
Hopefully Thailand will open up in Oct as planned and I’d be privileged to buy you both a meal again.
Hopefully Thailand will open up in Oct as planned and I’d be privileged to buy you both a meal again.
13 provinces to be under curfew, lockdown until Aug 2
Bangkok Post PUBLISHED : 18 JUL 2021 AT 13:44WRITER: ONLINE REPORTERS
The government is to extend the existing curfew and other tight restrictions in Greater Bangkok and four southern border provinces to at least Aug 2, and add three more provinces to the list on Tuesday.
The curfew from 9pm-4am and other restrictions have been in force since last Monday in Bangkok, Nonthaburi, Samut Prakan, Samut Sakhon, Pathum Thani and Nakhon Pathom, as well as the southernmost provinces of Narathiwat, Pattani, Songkhla and Yala.
The severe measures will also be imposed in three more provinces -- Chon Buri, Chachoengsao and Ayutthaya -- from Tuesday, according to the Royal Gazette published on Saturday, bringing the total number of provinces placed under lockdown to 13.
The restrictions include the closure of all stores in shopping malls at 8pm except for retailers deemed essential, such as supermarkets, chemists and those selling medical and communications equipment. A ban on dine-in eateries continues, while restaurants, wet markets and convenience stores must close from 8pm-4am. No public transport is available from 9pm-4am.
The number of provinces under close watch by authorities due to high infection rates of Covid-19 will be almost doubled -- from 24 to 43 -- according to the order in the Royal Gazette.
New transportation restrictions will apply to the entire country, it added. From Wednesday, all modes of public transport across the country have to limit passengers to half of their capacity.
The government said the restrictions will be evaluated after a week, and indicated the lockdown measures would be in place beyond Aug 2 if the pandemic continues to worsen.
The expanded measures were announced as the country reels under unprecedented numbers of new coronavirus infections and fatalities.
An all-time high of 141 deaths were reported during the national briefing on Saturday and a record-breaking 11,397 new confirmed caseswere accounced on Sunday.
Thai protesters back on streets, repeat calls for Prayut to resign
as Covid-19 frustrations build
Tan Tam Mei
Thailand Correspondent
- Straits Times UPDATED
- BANGKOK - More than a thousand anti-government protesters took to the streets of Bangkok on Sunday (July 18), defying a ban on mass gatherings to voice their grievances with Thailand’s handling of the pandemic and demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, who heads the country’s virus task force.
Protest organisers called for the protest to end just after 6 pm (7pm Singapore time), Reuters reported, but a stand-off between the police and a large group of protesters continued for several more hours.
Police dispersed the crowd just before the start of a 9 pm curfew that is in force in the Thai capital.
Thailand is fighting its deadliest Covid-19 wave to date, with daily figures hitting more than 10,000 infections and exceeding 100 deaths.
Efforts to curb the virus surge have been hindered by insufficient vaccine supplies, coupled with concerns over the efficacy of the Sinovac shots that the authorities use as one of the primary vaccines in the national inoculation drive.
Domestic flights suspended from Wednesday
The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand on Sunday suspended most domestic flights in a bid to prevent inter-provincial travel amid the worsening Covid-19 crisis.
The order will come into effect from Wednesday.
However, airlines are still allowed to operate cargo, international and domestic flights under special schemes, such as Phuket Sandbox and Samui Plus Model.
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