Thai PM, cabinet cancel Friday's scheduled AstraZeneca vaccinations

[webfact]

Thai PM, cabinet cancel Friday's scheduled AstraZeneca vaccinations
By Panu Wongcha-um and Panarat Thepgumpanat

Health officials hold a news conference on the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccination program, in Bangkok, Thailand March 12, 2021. Jonathan Klein/Pool via REUTERS

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand's Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and members of his cabinet on Friday cancelled plans to receive AstraZeneca vaccine shots after the country delayed use of the vaccines over reports of blood clots in some European nations, a health official said.

In a health ministry news conference, Prasit Watanapa, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at Siriraj Hospital, confirmed the rollout would be delayed after a suspension of inoculations using the vaccine in Denmark, Norway and Iceland.

Thailand was in a position to suspend the rollout for safety investigations because it had brought under control a second wave of coronavirus cases, said Kiattiphum Wongjit, permanent secretary for the Public Health Ministry.

"AstraZeneca is still a good vaccine but with what has happened ... the health ministry based on this advice would like to postpone the usage of the AstraZeneca vaccine momentarily," Kiattiphum said.

Yong Poonvorawan, a virology expert, told the news conference that the investigation would also check on whether any issues might be related to particular batches in Europe and said the vaccines supplied to Thailand were made in Asia.

Empty chairs are pictured during a news conference held by health officials on the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccination program, in Bangkok, Thailand March 12, 2021. Jonathan Klein/Pool via REUTERS

Thailand has so far recorded just over 26,500 coronavirus infections and 85 fatalities in a population of 66.5 million. A second wave that began in December is now registering below 100 new infections per day.

Thailand's overall vaccination strategy is heavily reliant on AstraZeneca, which will be produced locally by a company owned by the country's king, with 61 million doses reserved for the Thai population.

However, the locally made AstraZeneca is not due to be ready until at least June, and Thailand last week began limited inoculations with imported doses of the Sinovac vaccine.

Thailand has so far administered about 40,000 of the 200,000 recently received doses of Sinovac’s CoronaVac, Kiattiphum said.

The country also last week received 117,300 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, which the prime minister and his cabinet had been scheduled to receive on Friday.

Kiattiphum said that Thailand's imported doses were not from the same batch that is being investigated in Europe.

"We got this from global supply and there is no report of this (problem) in Asia," he said.

(Reporting by Panu Wongcha-um and Panarat Thepgumpanat; Editing by Ed Davies)

-- © Copyright Reuters 2021-03-12

 

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

- Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

[NCC1701A]

and so goes the rest of the country. 

[anchadian]

Let's start again shall we?

The way this is going, I doubt us foreigners will get our initial 'free' shot until 2023.

 

 

[LomSak27]

Shock, Gasp, Horror! 

Not the best example for the soldiers he leads, let alone the civilians. 

 

 

 

 

[Bkk Brian]

18 minutes ago, webfact said:

Thailand has so far administered about 40,000 of the 200,000 recently received doses of Sinovac’s CoronaVac

Steady does it Thailand 40k administered out of 200k. Hows the plan going for 10 million a month administered from June?

[Bluetongue]

Said to be an over reaction. The rate of blood clotting is no higher than the control group apparently. There wouldn't be any intra Europe vaccine politics at play would there? However it wouldn't surprise me if the brave General is afraid of needles like many Thai's I know. How to set an example, this is the second postponement right.

[mtls2005]

As if any of the leaders have blood, I mean besides what's on their hands.

[John Drake]

39 minutes ago, webfact said:

Empty chairs are pictured during a news conference held by health officials on the coronavirus disease

Better than empty suits, I guess.

[stubuzz]

They could have given the younger members of the cabinet the Chinese vaccine.

[colinneil]

Laughable really, i commented 2 days ago about Prayut not getting his jab today, saying what excuse will he have this time, appears i was spot on.

[NCC1701A]

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-56369550

AstraZeneca: Thailand delays vaccine rollout over blood clot fears

[ThailandRyan]

So then there goes the in country production i would have to assume.  Sort of like duck duck goose with the vaccines now.

[Bkk Brian]

33 minutes ago, stubuzz said:

They could have given the younger members of the cabinet the Chinese vaccine.

With only 40k out of 200k of the Chinese junk administered I suspect nobody wants the bloody thing

[champers]

Can't have any clots in the cabinet.

[colinneil]

Just now, champers said:

Can't have any clots in the cabinet.

Surely you meant to say, cant have anymore clots in the cabinet, as it is full of them already.

[madmitch]

I thought the object of this exercise was for the PM to show confidence in the product to convince the rest of the country that it's safe.

 

Well that's well and truly f***ed

[Bkk Brian]

18 minutes ago, champers said:

Can't have any clots in the cabinet.

Too many clots spoils the broth

[Forza2002]

I seem to remember Pinocchio saying that the majority of Thais would have to be vaccinated before the doors would be open to Tourists. I guess Tourists will be waiting until 2022/23 if that's the case... 

[farang63]

where I live I spoke to many Thais, the majority I spoke with said they will not get any vaccines, there is no safety in the vaccine and they do not trust, and their body is fine like this, they do not want any problems, if so ? how will the Thai government vaccinate the entire Thai population if millions do not want to get the vaccine
(I am not an antivaccine, but I certainly love my body very much and I am fine, and I must first have the maximum certainty that the vaccine does not create any problems)

[Kerryd]

This is the 2nd time he was supposed to get vaccinated and found a reason to duck out. Last time I think it was the SinoVac he was supposed to get, but cancelled it because of "paperwork".

It's almost like he doesn't trust who's making/buying/supplying the vaccines or something !

[edwardandtubs]

Somehow 20 million Brits have been vaccinated mostly by the Astrazeneca jab without suffering from blood clots but some jittery Scandinavians start worrying about it without any evidence and Prayuth calls the whole thing off.

If he's scared of the virus and scared of the vaccine then he might as well lock himself in his basement for the next 3 years.

[RichardColeman]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

the rollout would be delayed after a suspension of inoculations using the vaccine in Denmark, Norway and Iceland.

Yes, that's the Viking spirit, Ragnar would be so proud ! It's the equivalent of the Vikings cancelling sailing to England as the same number of people died of old age on the journey as in the village left behind !

[Kaopad999]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

on Friday cancelled plans to receive AstraZeneca vaccine shots after the country delayed use of the vaccines over reports of blood clots

Makes perfect sense.
Thailand's Covid numbers are so low anyway it just would not make any sense rushing the vaccine when there are reports of serious blood clots. 
Blood Clot or Covid?  I'd  take Covid any day of the week.
I'm glad Thailand is taking this seriously. 

[Mr Meeseeks]

Anything but the truth as to why the AZ vaccine isn't getting a proper rollout. 

 

[Kaopad999]

40 minutes ago, farang63 said:

where I live I spoke to many Thais, the majority I spoke with said they will not get any vaccines, there is no safety in the vaccine and they do not trust, and their body is fine like this, they do not want any problems, if so ? how will the Thai government vaccinate the entire Thai population if millions do not want to get the vaccine
(I am not an antivaccine, but I certainly love my body very much and I am fine, and I must first have the maximum certainty that the vaccine does not create any problems)

I've also spoken to some Thai's that do not plan to have it. And yeah, it's not just younger people that are saying this... 
I also don't have anything against people taking it, but as i'm pretty fit and still fairly young, i don't see any need to take it. 
 

[Forresttrump]

I see a new blood clot insurance requirement coming for my next entry to Thailand!!

[John Drake]

It does appear that Thailand has put all its money on the two most questionable vaccines, AZ and Sinovac. The reluctance of government leaders to get the shots themselves tells me everything I need to know.

[sandyf]

12 minutes ago, Kaopad999 said:

Makes perfect sense.
Thailand's Covid numbers are so low anyway it just would not make any sense rushing the vaccine when there are reports of serious blood clots. 
Blood Clot or Covid?  I'd  take Covid any day of the week.
I'm glad Thailand is taking this seriously. 

I will have the vaccine thank you.

Nothing to fear from blood clots.

[Benmart]

1 hour ago, champers said:

Can't have any clots in the cabinet.

Clods, yes. Clots, no.

[Kaopad999]

1 minute ago, sandyf said:

I will have the vaccine thank you.

Nothing to fear from blood clots.

Fair enough and good luck. Nothing against people taking it. up to them.