Thailand targets vaccination of 19 million people in first phase

By Panarat Thepgumpanat and Chayut Setboonsarng

 

FILE PHOTO: Thailand Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha attends an agreement signing ceremony for purchase of AstraZeneca's potential COVID-19 vaccine at Government House, amid the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Bangkok, Thailand November 27, 2020. REUTERS/Chalinee Thirasupa/Pool

 

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand is targeting the immunisation of 19 million people against the coronavirus in a first phase of inoculations starting on Feb. 14, the prime minister said on Wednesday, amid criticism the government has been slow in rolling out vaccines.

 

Inoculations will begin with 50,000 doses of AstraZeneca's vaccine, Prayuth Chan-ocha said. He gave no timeline for the first phase.

 

By May, Thailand will have received 150,000 doses from AstraZeneca.

 

In a broadcast carried on the government's website, Prayuth apologised for not solving COVID-19 related problems as fast as the public had demanded.

 

"Blaming each other will not solve any problems," he said.

 

Of the 19 million to be vaccinated, 11 million would be people aged over 60 and 6.1 million would be those with underlying diseases, he said.

 

Another 1.7 million would be for medical professionals and 15,000 government workers involved in managing the virus, he said, adding those under 18 and pregnant women would not be vaccinated. About a fifth of Thailand's population is under 18.

 

The timeframe would depend on the capacity of hospitals administering the vaccines and number of doses they receive, head of the government's vaccine management committee, Sophon Mekthon, told Reuters.

 

Thailand has altogether secured 26 million doses from AstraZeneca to be produced by local firm Siam Biosience and 2 million doses from China's Sinovac. It has also reserved 35 million doses from AstraZeneca.

 

Thailand will initially import the vaccines but is expected by June to be producing it locally, Sophon added.

 

Authorities say they will vaccinate 31.5 million people.

 

The education ministry on Wednesday said it would reopen most schools from next week, in response to localised declines in new coronavirus infections.

 

The announcement comes despite the country reporting on Wednesday its second-highest number of new daily coronavirus cases, with 819 infections, the majority due to mass testing in Samut Sakhon province, the epicentre of the most recent outbreak.

 

Thailand has reported 15,465 cases and 76 deaths.

 

(Reporting by Chayut Setboonsarng and; Panarat Thepgumpanat; Editing by Martin Petty and Angus MacSwan)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2021-01-28

 

- Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you

- Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

Once again, creative mathematics boosted with government marketing.

 

By May, expecting 150k dose vaccine....of 26 million ordered....

Is that time to cheat yet, or just wait some more for the 25.85 million vaccines that isn't planned to be delivered within the next 3 months?

 

 

21 minutes ago, webfact said:

By May, Thailand will have received 150,000 doses from AstraZeneca.

Think this should read 

By May, Thailand will may have received 150,000 doses from AstraZeneca.

40 minutes ago, tingtong said:

Once again, creative mathematics boosted with government marketing.

 

By May, expecting 150k dose vaccine....of 26 million ordered....

Is that time to cheat yet, or just wait some more for the 25.85 million vaccines that isn't planned to be delivered within the next 3 months?

 

 

No, the 26 million should come from a local company, which should produce 20 million vaccines per month starting producing in June.

Public health volunteers to explain vaccine safety, distribution to people

 

 

BANGKOK (NNT) - The first COVID-19 vaccine is expected to be administered in Thailand on February 14 this year, with the first doses to be given to medical personnel.

 

To ensure transparency, the Ministry of Public Health has instructed volunteers to explain the vaccine distribution method and its safety to the people.

 

The Deputy Minister of Public Health, Dr. Satit Pitutecha, said that all units must help develop an understanding of the COVID-19 vaccine with the public nationwide.

 

The Ministry of Public Health assigned its inspector-general and public health volunteers to convey information related to the vaccine to the people.

 

They will be able to identify the priority groups and understand the vaccine’s safety and procurement process. The information will help them decide if they want to receive the vaccine, which will arrive in Thailand next month.

 

It is the duty of government officials to provide an accurate understanding of the issue. Dr. Satit assured the public that the COVID-19 vaccines to be used in Thailand are safe and effective.

 

The public health volunteers will also have to explain the role of the field hospital in each area, as well as proper conduct towards recovered patients.

 

The people can rest assured that the recovered patients and others who have been discharged from field hospitals are COVID-19-free.

 

 

-- © Copyright NNT 2021-01-28

 

- Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you

- Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

The general is going to turn wine into water to expensive   water into vaccine and vaccinate 19m out of 50.000 doses ????

I guess Thailand does not get along with India?  India can provide millions of AZ vaccine right away.

20 minutes ago, Don Chance said:

I guess Thailand does not get along with India?  India can provide millions of AZ vaccine right away.

 

Well, we all know Prayut prefers to buy at his Chinese buddies. But that might become another loss of face for him very soon:

 

https://www.wionews.com/world/china-gets-increasingly-isolated-broken-promises-over-vaccines-to-blame-359745

 

Too bad he rejected the vaccine offer from India 

 

And then he proudly announces to get 150000 doses from Astra Zeneca till May. 150000!!! Till May!!! What a joke! This guy really has no shame, this guy really is unique on our planet Earth.

 

Edited January 27, 20215 yr by Flying Saucage

Seems reasonable-tho' perhaps a bit overly ambitious-to me.

 

We will see how it pans out.

7 minutes ago, Odysseus123 said:

Seems reasonable-tho' perhaps a bit overly ambitious-to me.

 

We will see how it pans out.

Indeed, we will...

It's a start. 

More confident than ambitious?

For a country the prides its self on its military and has a large ex military presence in parliament its a wonder why the Thai military has  not taken an active role in distributing and administering the vaccine. Considering that less that 70 mio people need vaccinating this could be well and truly carried out by June if the vaccine had been ordered and delivered. 

I'm trying to work out how our glorious leader is keeping his mask on?

Looking at the photo, the elastic cord doesn't go around his right ear. Has he perhaps used super-glue or photo-shop?

4 hours ago, webfact said:

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand is targeting the immunisation of 19 million people against the coronavirus in a first phase of inoculations starting on Feb. 14, the prime minister said on Wednesday, amid criticism the government has been slow in rolling out vaccines.

And Myanmar have already started to administer Vaccines.

Thailand, ..... Slow ! ..... Understatement.

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Of the 19 million to be vaccinated, 11 million would be people aged over 60 and 6.1 million would be those with underlying diseases, he said.

 

Another 1.7 million would be for medical professionals and 15,000 government workers involved in managing the virus,

 

Sounds like a sensible and reasonable plan.
 

And without the false promises and timelines that never get delivered on by leaders such as Boris.
 

This will no doubt be criticized by members on this forum, because that is all they know how to do, while ignoring the shocking death toll reality in their own countries. 

More people died every single hour yesterday in the UK, the USA, in Germany etc than the entire year in Thailand.
 

Carry on. 

Edited January 28, 20215 yr by Natai Beach

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Prayuth apologised for not solving COVID-19 related problems as fast as the public had demanded.

 

"Blaming each other will not solve any problems," he said.

 

They're not blaming each other, they're only blaming you. Hope that clarifies things ????

 

Edited January 28, 20215 yr by khunjeff

17 minutes ago, Natai Beach said:

 

Sounds like a sensible and reasonable plan.
 

And without the false promises and timelines that never get delivered on by leaders such as Boris.
 

This will no doubt be criticized by members on this forum, because that is all they know how to do, while ignoring the shocking death toll reality in their own countries. 

More people died every single hour yesterday in the UK, the USA, in Germany etc than the entire year in Thailand.
 

Carry on. 

I don't think anyone is unaware of what's going on in their own countries.

 

This is a topic about vaccinations, not about the handling of the pandemic, where Thailand's actions have been praised.

Rightly criticized for being super slow.  

    And, another misleading headline.  It's not 19 million people being vaccinated in the first phase, it's 25,000 with 2 jabs each.  The article says only 50,000 vaccines will have been received for the February start.   Way, way way in the future, in May, according to the article, a tiny total of 150,000 vaccines will have arrived.  With 2 doses per person, by May only 75,000 will have been served--a far cry from 19 million.   19 million is way too far in the future to even see and ridiculous to include in the 'first phase'.  

How much are governments paying for the vaccine, no news sources are saying? 

Now just wait for all the excuses why the 'plan' isn't being or can't be followed !

7 hours ago, Don Chance said:

I guess Thailand does not get along with India?  India can provide millions of AZ vaccine right away.

 

Thailand wants to prove allegiance to China, who is in competition with India on vaccine diplomacy.

 

once again,  shows what the priorities are 

So, the first phase of the vaccination will take about 300 years.

17 hours ago, webfact said:

"Blaming each other will not solve any problems," he said.

Zzzzzz.  Zzzzzz. Zzzzzz.

Ain't going to happen, another statement to keep the world press quite. 

On 1/28/2021 at 4:20 AM, FritsSikkink said:

No, the 26 million should come from a local company, which should produce 20 million vaccines per month starting producing in June.

 

On 1/28/2021 at 4:20 AM, FritsSikkink said:

No, the 26 million should come from a local company, which should produce 20 million vaccines per month starting producing in June.

Ok, so that makes perfect sense; they will start phase-1 in February with the bulk of the vaccine will start production in June... thanks for clearing that up.