Thai private hospitals reserve COVID-19 vaccines ahead of approval

By Chayut Setboonsarng

 

A healthcare worker takes a nasal swab sample from a migrant worker for a COVID-19 test at a market, amid fears of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Pathum Thani province, Thailand, January 13, 2021. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha

 

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Two private hospitals in Thailand have ordered millions of doses of coronavirus vaccines ahead of regulatory approval, adding to government orders of vaccines as the Southeast Asian country tackles a second wave of the virus.

 

"We ordered one million doses of the Sinovac vaccine with an option to buy nine million more," Boon Vanasin, the chairman of Thonburi Healthcare Group Pcl, told Reuters.

 

From the initial one million doses, he plans to use about half to inoculate staff in its network of 40 hospitals and workers in his other businesses, once receiving approval from Thailand’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

 

The Thai government has separately ordered two million doses from China's Sinovac Biotech and expects delivery of 200,000 doses with plans to inoculate frontline workers and medical professionals in high-risk areas next month.

 

The government has also ordered 61 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, which will be produced by local firm Siam Bioscience for domestic use and export.

 

"We can’t just wait for the government," Boon said, adding that it was not clear how many doses from the government’s vaccine stockpile would reach private hospital workers.

 

For patients, Thonburi's medical centres plan to offer two vaccine injections for 3,200 baht ($106.28).

 

"We cannot take a profit here because it is a humanitarian issue for the country," he said.

 

For most of last year, Thailand kept the number of coronavirus cases low, but a second outbreak in December has brought confirmed infections to 12,423 with 70 deaths.

 

Another private hospital, Vibhavadi Medical Centre Pcl, has ordered 10,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine, managing director Chaisit Kupwiwat, told Reuters.

 

So far, Thailand's FDA has received registration requests for the Sinovac and AstraZeneca vaccines.

 

Thailand is expected to approve one of the vaccines this week for emergency use, Opas Karnkawinpong, director-general of the Department of Disease Control, told a briefing without elaborating.

 

Last week, the FDA said it was processing AstraZeneca's request, which it expected to approve soon.

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2021-01-18

 

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6 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

"We ordered one million doses of the Sinovac vaccine with an option to buy nine million more,"

Count me out. 

Looks like I will be able to get the vaccine earlier than if I still lived in Australia.

Go Thailand!!

 

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-01-06/australian-covid-vaccine-timeline-brought-forward-early-march/13035410

So far Sinovac and at some point the AstraZeneca vaccines appear to be the only choices in Thailand. If those two I will be taking the AstraZeneca one.

That’s very promissing, because this vax can arrive as soon as thai government gives an approval. That can be even before some only 200k will come to public health workers the next month. 
At this stage its more about medics, public services, civil servants and patients from risk groups, including elderly. 
the rest of population will have to wait several more months

11 minutes ago, wasabi said:

So far Sinovac and at some point the AstraZeneca vaccines appear to be the only choices in Thailand. If those two I will be taking the AstraZeneca one.

Tiger balm is the third option.

Unless they are going to outbid the Thai government i can't see private hospitals jumping the queue.

Either way, good news for everyone who wants to speed up an end to all the restrictions.

 

1 hour ago, RotBenz8888 said:

Count me out. 

Be careful what you wish for.

18 minutes ago, WHansen said:

Unless they are going to outbid the Thai government i can't see private hospitals jumping the queue.

Either way, good news for everyone who wants to speed up an end to all the restrictions.

Restrictions won’t just simple end if you’ve has a Covid vaccine

 

2 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

For patients, Thonburi's medical centres plan to offer two vaccine injections for 3,200 baht ($106.28).

 

"We cannot take a profit here because it is a humanitarian issue for the country," he said.

Lies

 

This is corrupt private enterprise taking over what should be supplied by the Thai government. Will be saving Anutin's budget and providing a nice fat profit for the private hospitals. 3,200 baht when the cost price is only $5 USD (150 baht)

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1384867/sinovac-jabs-varying-prices-raise-alarm

I'm pretty sure both me and the Mrs will go and get the AstraZeneca shots when they're available.

 

If we have to wait a year or even longer then so be it, I really don't care one way or the other and I live in a small not very crowded place.

4 hours ago, Bkk Brian said:

 

Lies

 

This is corrupt private enterprise taking over what should be supplied by the Thai government. Will be saving Anutin's budget and providing a nice fat profit for the private hospitals. 3,200 baht when the cost price is only $5 USD (150 baht)

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1384867/sinovac-jabs-varying-prices-raise-alarm

While I agree with the ethical side to your point, even though there is a report of it costing $5 in Thailand, does that apply to government contract only? Perhaps the cost for purchasing in large quantities would be $5. Would 1 million be too few for this price? Who knows.

 

Also, the THB 3,200 cost is for 2 doses (THB 1,600) each. Still well above the actual cost I'm sure, but they are a business, albeit in healthcare and have other costs to cover, not just the vaccine shot.

 

They will make some profit, no one know's how much of course, as there is little transparency - it would be interesting to know though.

9 hours ago, Natai Beach said:

Looks like I will be able to get the vaccine earlier than if I still lived in Australia.

Go Thailand!!

 

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-01-06/australian-covid-vaccine-timeline-brought-forward-early-march/13035410

Yeah, you're also able to get covid faster in Thailand nowadays than if you still lived in Australia. 

8 hours ago, Bkk Brian said:

 

Lies

 

This is corrupt private enterprise taking over what should be supplied by the Thai government. Will be saving Anutin's budget and providing a nice fat profit for the private hospitals. 3,200 baht when the cost price is only $5 USD (150 baht)

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1384867/sinovac-jabs-varying-prices-raise-alarm

Exactly What I thought reading the article...hammer squarely upon the nail!

Moderna and Pfizer have not applied for approval-? - WHY would that be? So THAT is the reason only the Chinese vaccine and the soon to be locally manufactured Oxford vaccine will be approved. Come on - just let the private hospitals distribute Moderna and/or Pfizer and let's get on with it. 

10 hours ago, RotBenz8888 said:

Count me out. 

Why?

 

I'll take any vaccine, main point for me is to get documentation to say i've had it so that travelling overseas becomes an easier option.

I mean there’s gonna be corruption with this vaccine in Thailand TIT

3200 baht and he is claiming there is no profit? yeah right????

Does that include nursing charge and doctor fees, because to get vaccinated, MUST have a doctor and MUST have a nurse holding the needle for the doctor, so MUST pay nursing charge and "medical fees"

42 minutes ago, Netzero said:

Moderna and Pfizer have not applied for approval-? - WHY would that be? So THAT is the reason only the Chinese vaccine and the soon to be locally manufactured Oxford vaccine will be approved. Come on - just let the private hospitals distribute Moderna and/or Pfizer and let's get on with it. 

These two vaccines are in short supply and rich countries have prebought what is available for months to come. Why should the manufacturers bother to register in Thailand at this point? 

 

From government’s pov, they have to be stored at -70 degrees C, so not great for mass vaccination in a tropical country

9 hours ago, Bkk Brian said:

 

Lies

 

This is corrupt private enterprise taking over what should be supplied by the Thai government. Will be saving Anutin's budget and providing a nice fat profit for the private hospitals. 3,200 baht when the cost price is only $5 USD (150 baht)

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1384867/sinovac-jabs-varying-prices-raise-alarm

It's just the way Beijing prices them.  Lower price for friends, higher price if you're not.

 

From your article:

Quote

“China’s prices are not like capitalist companies that are market-dictated. They can adjust their prices accordingly, depending on who is buying,” he said. “That’s why Beijing doesn’t want to announce its prices, because other countries that are not as close to them would find out they might have bought at a more expensive price.”

 

50 minutes ago, Netzero said:

Moderna and Pfizer have not applied for approval-? - WHY would that be? So THAT is the reason only the Chinese vaccine and the soon to be locally manufactured Oxford vaccine will be approved. Come on - just let the private hospitals distribute Moderna and/or Pfizer and let's get on with it. 

Governments started bidding for jabs months ago.  Before details were known about any of them.  AZ, Moderna and Pfizer jabs were all taken up by richer countries.  Where they had to bid on the jabs, and pay premiums.

 

Less wealthy countries seem to have gone after the cheaper and more readily available Chinese and Russian jabs.  Details on these are not as well know.

 

No easy answers here. 

11 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

For patients, Thonburi's medical centres plan to offer two vaccine injections for 3,200 baht ($106.28).

 

"We cannot take a profit here because it is a humanitarian issue for the country," he said.

Other countries are being charged ~$19.50/dose!  [2x$19.50=$39; $106-$39= $67].  If $67 is not a profit what is it?

 

https://www.forbes.com/sites/katiejennings/2020/11/17/how-much-will-a-covid-19-vaccine-cost/?sh=130982aa576d

11 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Thailand is expected to approve one of the vaccines this week for emergency use,

And just what constitutes an emergency?

10 hours ago, wasabi said:

So far Sinovac and at some point the AstraZeneca vaccines appear to be the only choices in Thailand. If those two I will be taking the AstraZeneca one.

Same here.

 

myanmar is getting the first lot in February from the 30mill vaccines they ordered.

 

we are waiting for local production!

Lot of attention presently  on the Sinovac vaccine, with some countries (incl. Singapore) now hesitant following the rather poor results of the Brazilian trials. There is a fairly good overview with various viewpoints of what is happening in this recent article:

https://edition.cnn.com/2021/01/17/asia/sinovac-vaccine-asia-efficacy-intl-hnk/index.html

18 minutes ago, Thaiophil said:

These two vaccines are in short supply and rich countries have prebought what is available for months to come. Why should the manufacturers bother to register in Thailand at this point? 

 

From government’s pov, they have to be stored at -70 degrees C, so not great for mass vaccination in a tropical country

Yeah

 

pfizer would be challenge in nations with logistics challenges.

9 minutes ago, Jeffr2 said:

Less wealthy countries seem to have gone after the cheaper and more readily available Chinese and Russian jabs.  Details on these are not as well know.

Call me a cynic...

 

CP invest half a billion USD in Sinovac.

Less transparency and scrutiny with vaccines sourced from these countries.

Opportunity for skimming cream is maximized.

 

In fact, pretty similar to most public procurement or infrastructure projects in LoS.

 

 

8 minutes ago, Prairieboy said:

Other countries are being charged ~$19.50/dose!  [2x$19.50=$39; $106-$39= $67].  If $67 is not a profit what is it?

 

https://www.forbes.com/sites/katiejennings/2020/11/17/how-much-will-a-covid-19-vaccine-cost/?sh=130982aa576d

Thank you.

 

could not have said it better.

 

 Countries such as Jordan vaccinating refugees for free. Here we pay 3X the cost

 

 

11 hours ago, Natai Beach said:

Looks like I will be able to get the vaccine earlier than if I still lived in Australia.

Go Thailand!!

 

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-01-06/australian-covid-vaccine-timeline-brought-forward-early-march/13035410

Id prefer to wait for trials to be done and get it for free then pay for an unproven chinese vaccine 

10 hours ago, spiekerjozef said:

Tiger balm is the third option.

Tigerbalm is not Thai but Singaporean