FILE PHOTO: A woman holds a small bottle labelled with a "Coronavirus COVID-19 Vaccine" sticker in this illustration taken, October 30, 2020. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand will procure an additional 100,000 doses of China's Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine to be used and paid for by businesses, an industry group said on Thursday, in the first phase of a private sector vaccination scheme.

Other Southeast Asian countries including Indonesia and the Philippines have also launched private schemes, which proponents say will help kick-start key industries and cut the state burden, though some health experts warn that workers could be prioritised over more vulnerable sections of the population.

"The Government Pharmaceutical Organization has confirmed our order," Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) chairman Supant Mongkolsuthree told reporters, adding that the vaccine costing 1,000 baht ($32.52) per dose should be administered in June.

About 50,000 individuals in 109 companies, mostly in the food and drug sectors, are joining the scheme after an initial survey, FTI's deputy secretary-general, Panitarn Pavarolavidya, said.

"This batch is not related to the government's batch for the public. We're in line for the next lot for vaccinations," Panitarn said.

Thailand's second-phase of its mass vaccination drive is slated for June after the first delivery of the locally produced AstraZeneca vaccine as part of a drive to inoculate half of the country's population of 66.5 million by year's end.

The country has so far received 200,000 doses of the Sinovac Biotech CoronaVac vaccine and 117,300 doses from AstraZeneca.

On Monday, Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha became the first person to be inoculated with the imported AstraZeneca shots and so far 53,842 people have been vaccinated .

Another 800,000 doses of CoronaVac are expected to arrive on March 20 and a further one million doses in April.

Thailand has reported 27,494 COVID-19 infections and 89 fatalities.

Health Minister Anutin Charnvirankul said this week that Thailand was in discussions to procure an additional five million doses of CoronaVac.

(Reporting by Chayut Setboonsarng and Panarat Thepgumpanat; Editing by Ed Davies)

-- © Copyright Reuters 2021-03-18

 

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

- Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

5 minutes ago, webfact said:

"This batch is not related to the government's batch for the public. We're in line for the next lot for vaccinations," Panitarn said.

"He said with a big grin on his face, and then frowned once he found out that the Prayut Government had not approved the private organizations to buy the vaccines and would be confiscating it for the use of the Governments vaccination program".

sarcasm drips from this post

11 minutes ago, webfact said:

Other Southeast Asian countries including Indonesia and the Philippines have also launched private schemes, which proponents say will help kick-start key industries and cut the state burden, though some health experts warn that workers could be prioritised over more vulnerable sections of the population.

At least we are getting a degree of honesty

'Cut state burden'  what state burden the government have done jack, they are just ensuring others do the work for them

'Could' be prioritised, no need to even discuss this one...

All they show is they're inept and don't give a monkeys for the poor or vulnerable but at least if they get the vaccine passports sorted and business to provide the other stuff they won't be too inconvenienced by their own incompetence...

12 hours ago, webfact said:

Thailand will procure an additional 100,000 doses of China's Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine to be used and paid for by businesses,

Same as a pet shop selling you flea powder after you taking back the flea ridden dog they sold you yesterday

17 hours ago, webfact said:

Thailand's second-phase of its mass vaccination drive is slated for June after the first delivery of the locally produced AstraZeneca vaccine as part of a drive to inoculate half of the country's population of 66.5 million by year's end.

Really?

Cut the state burden? Dont you mean taking care of your people? Still have to pay for those little submarines. Thailand getting its priorities right? ????????

There is no way that Chinese sh!t is getting into me, even if it was free.  I'll wait for AZ, J&J or any other that is registered in western countries.

18 hours ago, webfact said:

the vaccine costing 1,000 baht ($32.52) per dose

... whilst the AstraZeneca vaccine costs under $4.  

Someone must have some pretty strong motivation to go for the Chinese dodgy stuff.

I don't quite understand how private businesses,  other that healthcare facilities, can bypass government requirements on the safe storage, proper certification from the producers, and the proper oversight of the vaccine process. And some of these measures should apply to private hospitals as well.  Moreover, allowing a hodgepodge of business groups to buy various vaccines from 'wherever' makes the government's efforts to vaccinate its own citizens look less than adequate.  But, overall, I'm not surprised at this development.

19 hours ago, webfact said:

Thailand will procure an additional 100,000 doses of China's Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine to be used and paid for by businesses, an industry group said on Thursday, in the first phase of a private sector vaccination scheme.

Nice to see Thailand on the ball, March 2021 first phase.... 100,000 in the private sector.

I am pro vaccine and quite happy to pay but if it is a choice of Sinovac or nothing, I'll wait.

Funny how the PM and co were given Astra Zenica. If he is so sure of his Chinese friends, why didn't he opt and take Sinovac?

19 hours ago, webfact said:

About 50,000 individuals in 109 companies, mostly in the food and drug sectors, are joining the scheme after an initial survey, FTI's deputy secretary-general, Panitarn Pavarolavidya, said.

Is one of these companies CP, which, according to comments on this forum, has a direct investment in the Sinovac vaccine?

21 minutes ago, Oxx said:

... whilst the AstraZeneca vaccine costs under $4.  

Someone must have some pretty strong motivation to go for the Chinese dodgy stuff.

AZ recalled 1.7 million doses.  Probably made at their India plant.  And you call the Chinese stuff dodgy?  So far, no known deaths from the Chinese jab.  And it's been widely used globally.

The biggest risk right now is getting covid-19. All of the major vaccines have 99.9% efficacy against death and severe hospitalization.  Get the jab.  Whatever you can get.  Odds are we'll be dealing with variants for years to come.  Possibly having to get updated jabs every year.  Just like we do with the flu today.

17 minutes ago, pookiki said:

I don't quite understand how private businesses,  other that healthcare facilities, can bypass government requirements on the safe storage, proper certification from the producers, and the proper oversight of the vaccine process. And some of these measures should apply to private hospitals as well.  Moreover, allowing a hodgepodge of business groups to buy various vaccines from 'wherever' makes the government's efforts to vaccinate its own citizens look less than adequate.  But, overall, I'm not surprised at this development.

They are not going to bypass government requirements.  Any imported jab will have to get FDA approval here.  Not an easy process.

46 minutes ago, lujanit said:

There is no way that Chinese sh!t is getting into me, even if it was free.  I'll wait for AZ, J&J or any other that is registered in western countries.

It would appear that Sinovac, Sinopharm and the Russian Sputnik Vaccines are not approved vaccines for persons entry into Europe, and I believe ( right or wrong ) also into the UK

I’ll wait until Villa Market puts the vaccine on a buy one get one free promo

14 minutes ago, Jeffr2 said:

They are not going to bypass government requirements.  Any imported jab will have to get FDA approval here.  Not an easy process.

I think you missed the point - I'm talking about oversight of the administration of an approved vaccine. I know that the SINOVAC vaccine has been approved by the Thai FDA.

46 minutes ago, pookiki said:

I think you missed the point - I'm talking about oversight of the administration of an approved vaccine. I know that the SINOVAC vaccine has been approved by the Thai FDA.

It's a vaccine.  Same thing they give out every day and have been for decades.  No different.  Jab the arm, done.  As long as it's approved, hospitals know how to store, handle and apply the vaccines. I got a few last week from my hospital.  Easy peasy.

1 hour ago, Cake Monster said:

It would appear that Sinovac, Sinopharm and the Russian Sputnik Vaccines are not approved vaccines for persons entry into Europe, and I believe ( right or wrong ) also into the UK

Russia didn't submit the proper paperwork for their jab to the UK authorities.  Kinda like what happened here with AZ.  Missing docs I guess?

3 hours ago, Scouse123 said:

I am pro vaccine and quite happy to pay but if it is a choice of Sinovac or nothing, I'll wait.

Funny how the PM and co were given Astra Zenica. If he is so sure of his Chinese friends, why didn't he opt and take Sinovac?

you are happy to pay and "pro vaccine" ? So we can just only be pro or anti-vaccine, there is no other options than binary thinking solution to provide ? It is not possible ?

I mean... i recognize that vaccine (in general) is something good for humanity health in his history, but i can recognize also that these vaccine (and also the genetic therapy ones who are not really a vaccine) do not follow the normal process before to be able to be used on public (they switch 2 years of process for safety concern, and almost 6 different points at the very minimum requested).

So it should be possible to understand (at the very beginning with a very middle IQ score i think) that we can be pro-vaccine but reasonably scare about a 6 month made vaccine and some other genetic very very new and low tested other products (that officials dilks TV servent  belonging to large business patterns call "vaccine" but it is not).

But today, in the airfall and the general panic fear generated by official propaganda (and in flagrant and illegal conflicts of interest, but never judged), and whose lexical field of the narrative content is only based on The fear and narrowing of all to its extreme, in a purest binary mode well recognizable by its intellectual poverty, not to mention the constant deformation of the meaning of the words badly used, is it possible to think coldly without being appointed as " complotist" where anti-vaccine by indoctrinated subjects with a compatible psychological profile to enter a sect (without being anti-vaccine or having to spread any conspiracy theory)? The worst thing is that even if the rhetoric level in the mass media is very low, it seems rather working in too many numb people of the spinal bulb.

Propaganda Power, even If The content Is very Stupid, has always a very huge power on brain of people (even after all that we already Know with the human history on related subject: politic and business links and mechanism, then propaganda practice with his rhetoric techniques skills and enforce by harassment used to build consent or sale something you do not need really but you want it absolutely). Amazing and Fantastic world !

3 hours ago, Jeffr2 said:

AZ recalled 1.7 million doses.  Probably made at their India plant.  And you call the Chinese stuff dodgy?  So far, no known deaths from the Chinese jab.  And it's been widely used globally.

The biggest risk right now is getting covid-19. All of the major vaccines have 99.9% efficacy against death and severe hospitalization.  Get the jab.  Whatever you can get.  Odds are we'll be dealing with variants for years to come.  Possibly having to get updated jabs every year.  Just like we do with the flu today.

The difference is that AstraZenica is recalled it there was a problem. You think China would recall the Sinovac it there was a problem? Would they risk losing face to do that?

 

David

 

40 minutes ago, Genericnic said:

The difference is that AstraZenica is recalled it there was a problem. You think China would recall the Sinovac it there was a problem? Would they risk losing face to do that?

 

David

 

China is the one that CAUSED the pandemic! I don’t think you can lose face more than that.

3 hours ago, Jeffr2 said:

Russia didn't submit the proper paperwork for their jab to the UK authorities.  Kinda like what happened here with AZ.  Missing docs I guess?

Except that whilst I don't wish to appear racist (Heaven forfend!) I do have my doubts as to the testing regimes  and openness in both Russia and China. Call me overcautious if you like but there it is...????

5 hours ago, Scouse123 said:

I am pro vaccine and quite happy to pay but if it is a choice of Sinovac or nothing, I'll wait.

Funny how the PM and co were given Astra Zenica. If he is so sure of his Chinese friends, why didn't he opt and take Sinovac?

The reason given for the PM not getting the Sinovac vaccine was that Sinovac is not recommended for people over 60 years of age.

2 hours ago, jerolamo said:

you are happy to pay and "pro vaccine" ? So we can just only be pro or anti-vaccine, there is no other options than binary thinking solution to provide ? It is not possible ?

I mean... i recognize that vaccine (in general) is something good for humanity health in his history, but i can recognize also that these vaccine (and also the genetic therapy ones who are not really a vaccine) do not follow the normal process before to be able to be used on public (they switch 2 years of process for safety concern, and almost 6 different points at the very minimum requested).

So it should be possible to understand (at the very beginning with a very middle IQ score i think) that we can be pro-vaccine but reasonably scare about a 6 month made vaccine and some other genetic very very new and low tested other products (that officials dilks TV servent  belonging to large business patterns call "vaccine" but it is not).

But today, in the airfall and the general panic fear generated by official propaganda (and in flagrant and illegal conflicts of interest, but never judged), and whose lexical field of the narrative content is only based on The fear and narrowing of all to its extreme, in a purest binary mode well recognizable by its intellectual poverty, not to mention the constant deformation of the meaning of the words badly used, is it possible to think coldly without being appointed as " complotist" where anti-vaccine by indoctrinated subjects with a compatible psychological profile to enter a sect (without being anti-vaccine or having to spread any conspiracy theory)? The worst thing is that even if the rhetoric level in the mass media is very low, it seems rather working in too many numb people of the spinal bulb.

Propaganda Power, even If The content Is very Stupid, has always a very huge power on brain of people (even after all that we already Know with the human history on related subject: politic and business links and mechanism, then propaganda practice with his rhetoric techniques skills and enforce by harassment used to build consent or sale something you do not need really but you want it absolutely). Amazing and Fantastic world !

I understand and agree with most of your post, except where you say ".......they switch 2 years of process for safety concern......."

Due to the urgency of the pandemic, a great deal of work was done in a few months that is normally stretched out over up to 10 years!

I suggest you watch BBC iPlayer - Panorama - The Race for a Vaccine for a detailed explanation from the very scientists who did the work on the AZ vaccine of which I've had my first shot.

A good friend of mine who is a retired senior UK Government Employee explained to me that in normal times, medicines etc are tested through a fixed scheme that includes lots of administration, committees, reports etc.  THAT is what was sidestepped for the Covid vaxxes, NOT the actual testing.

1 hour ago, fordguy61mi said:

China is the one that CAUSED the pandemic! I don’t think you can lose face more than that.

Losing face big or small will not be allowed.

Schemes= more people making problems for other people and them selves. 

8 hours ago, Jeffr2 said:

AZ recalled 1.7 million doses.  Probably made at their India plant.  And you call the Chinese stuff dodgy?  So far, no known deaths from the Chinese jab.  And it's been widely used globally.

The biggest risk right now is getting covid-19. All of the major vaccines have 99.9% efficacy against death and severe hospitalization.  Get the jab.  Whatever you can get.  Odds are we'll be dealing with variants for years to come.  Possibly having to get updated jabs every year.  Just like we do with the flu today.

What is your source for AZ recalling 1.7m doses?

8 hours ago, Jeffr2 said:

AZ recalled 1.7 million doses.  Probably made at their India plant.  And you call the Chinese stuff dodgy?  So far, no known deaths from the Chinese jab.  And it's been widely used globally.

The biggest risk right now is getting covid-19. All of the major vaccines have 99.9% efficacy against death and severe hospitalization.  Get the jab.  Whatever you can get.  Odds are we'll be dealing with variants for years to come.  Possibly having to get updated jabs every year.  Just like we do with the flu today.

What is your source for AZ recalling 1.7m doses?

8 hours ago, Jeffr2 said:

AZ recalled 1.7 million doses.  Probably made at their India plant.  And you call the Chinese stuff dodgy?  So far, no known deaths from the Chinese jab.  And it's been widely used globally.

The biggest risk right now is getting covid-19. All of the major vaccines have 99.9% efficacy against death and severe hospitalization.  Get the jab.  Whatever you can get.  Odds are we'll be dealing with variants for years to come.  Possibly having to get updated jabs every year.  Just like we do with the flu today.

What is your source for AZ recalling 1.7m doses?