Major hurdles remain for Thailand’s vaccine drive

[webfact]

 

By Cod Satrusayang

 

The government of Prayut Chan-ocha has finally prioritized vaccinations as a means to stop the pandemic but major hurdles remain to inoculate the population including production concerns and vaccination capacity, a source told Thai Enquirer on Tuesday.

 

Over 56,000 people have been infected since the third wave of the pandemic began on April 1. It has been the deadliest period of the pandemic so far in Thailand with over 300 deaths and counting.

 

The government’s previous lethargy in vaccine acquisition and distribution has meant that the majority of Thais have not been inoculated leaving the Prayut administration to play catch up.

 

Full story: https://www.thaienquirer.com/27340/major-hurdles-remain-for-thailands-vaccine-drive/

 

-- © Copyright Thai Inquirer 2021-05-12

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[ourmanflint]

I once said Thailand will be amongst the last of the developed countries to be vaccinated, and that that wouldn't happen until 2022.

 

Glad to see I'm still on track for the win and the old spidey senses are still working

[RichardColeman]

Major hurdles remain for Thailand’s vaccine drive

 

I imagine the lack of vaccines is the major hurdle 

[ezzra]

It will simply mean that many more Thais will get sick and die and the economy will suffer further which will cause this government to lose face and perhaps power to continue to govern,

other than that, there isn't much than can be done, and Thailand will have to endure longer losses and suffering to get to the other side of this Covid business...

[bradiston]

1 hour ago, RichardColeman said:

Major hurdles remain for Thailand’s vaccine drive

 

I imagine the lack of vaccines is the major hurdle 

Also implementation of the nationwide vaccination program and who is in charge in Bangkok, the BMA or the MoH.

[ikke1959]

The biggest hurdle is Mr Prayuth and Anutin... 

[RotBenz8888]

Let the private hospitals sell Moderna packages ASAP! 

[wasabi]

They just installed a pair of those temperature checking machines at my condo this week. Aside from being mildly offended that I am expected to validate my health just to return home it just seems pathetic. Over a year since this started and that is their solution? 98% of residents walk past the machine anyway so not sure who's bright idea that was. Glad I'll be gone in a week. But will gladly return once I'm vaccinated and things calm down here... whenever that is.

Edited May 11, 2021 by wasabi

[clivebaxter]

Worry not oh ye of little faith, Bioscience will be knocking out the promised first 18 million doses a month in Just over 2 weeks and will have enough left over to sell to others, won't they? ???? 

[Damrongsak]

1 hour ago, bradiston said:

Also implementation of the nationwide vaccination program and who is in charge in Bangkok, the BMA or the MoH.

How about Jab delivery?  Order food, get a shot. 

[bradiston]

7 minutes ago, Damrongsak said:

How about Jab delivery?  Order food, get a shot. 

Grab a jab?

Edited May 12, 2021 by bradiston
Humour

[Damrongsak]

3 minutes ago, bradiston said:

Grab a jab?

But which shot goes with which food? 

[starky]

"Previous lethargy" is understatement of the year. I would of gone with gross negligence and apathy towards their citizens on an epic scale at the very least.

[starky]

53 minutes ago, wasabi said:

They just installed a pair of those temperature checking machines at my condo this week. Aside from being mildly offended that I am expected to validate my health just to return home it just seems pathetic. Over a year since this started and that is their solution? 98% of residents walk past the machine anyway so not sure who's bright idea that was. Glad I'll be gone in a week. But will gladly return once I'm vaccinated and things calm down here... whenever that is.

Just think after this is all over and for years to come anytime you need to check your temp your condo will have your back. ????????

[starky]

8 minutes ago, bradiston said:

Grab a jab?

LINEjab? Vax panda?

Edited May 12, 2021 by starky

[jvs]

It is all about control,people need a new card to get vaccinated to keep it

all traceable ,why not use the ID card?

 

 

[bradiston]

5 minutes ago, Damrongsak said:

But which shot goes with which food? 

Have to be careful here. "Jab" when spoken in Thai means arrest, amongst other things. But how about pad kaprow "name of vax"?

[cclub75]

1 hour ago, wasabi said:

They just installed a pair of those temperature checking machines at my condo this week. Aside from being mildly offended that I am expected to validate my health just to return home it just seems pathetic. Over a year since this started and that is their solution? 98% of residents walk past the machine anyway so not sure who's bright idea that was.

 

Bip ! Bip !

 

It's farcical. Everywhere. It's "Cargo Cult".

 

Bip ! Bip !

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

The government of Prayut Chan-ocha has finally prioritized vaccinations as a means to stop the pandemic but major hurdles remain to inoculate the population including production concerns and vaccination capacity, a source told Thai Enquirer on Tuesday.

No bl**dy vaccines?

[realfunster]

1 hour ago, ourmanflint said:

I once said Thailand will be amongst the last of the developed countries to be vaccinated, and that that wouldn't happen until 2022.

 

Glad to see I'm still on track for the win and the old spidey senses are still working

 

Developed country ?

[Deli]

4 hours ago, ourmanflint said:

developed countries

 

You can't be serious  ?

[Tracyb]

1 hour ago, Damrongsak said:

But which shot goes with which food? 

Pfizer.  It goes with everything.  It’s the Champagne of vaccines!

[wensiensheng]

“The government’s previous lethargy in vaccine acquisition and distribution has meant that the majority of Thais have not been inoculated “

 

I suppose it is technically correct to say that the majority of Thais haven’t been vaccinated, but it’s misleading to use that term.

 

try: 99% of Thais haven’t been vaccinated, or, hardly any Thais and no foreigners, or…..something else along those lines. It conveys a more accurate meaning of the reality.

[madmitch]

Even if we get 20 million vaccines from them in June, it doesn’t matter because we do not have the capacity to vaccinate at a high number,” the source said.

“That is the reason we are asking private hospitals for help because we don’t have logistical capabilities to administer millions of vaccines per month.”

 

They should be sorting this now. Hopefully Thailand is only a month away from the commencement of mass vaccinations so they need to be training people to administer jabs, as there probably aren't enough medical personnel to go round, and they should be sorting out locations where the public can go to get the vaccines without interfering too much with the day to day running of the hospitals.

[Fex Bluse]

5 hours ago, ourmanflint said:

I once said Thailand will be amongst the last of the developed countries to be vaccinated, and that that wouldn't happen until 2022.

 

Glad to see I'm still on track for the win and the old spidey senses are still working

 

Agree. The problem many expats (on this forum and elsewhere in Thailand) have is they forget how professionally managed countries are run. They become desensitized to the cartoonish place Thailand is and can't compare it properly with other countries. Many of them have probably never lived in many other countries also.

 

This is the danger of the Thai charm. A smile or kiss from a young, fit Thai beauty is enough to make a man forget everything he knew prior.

[vandeventer]

5 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

Major hurdles remain for Thailand’s vaccine drive

 

I imagine the lack of vaccines is the major hurdle 

And Thai's are waking up to what vaccines will be available, and the free ones may not be their choice, no matter how many pictures they show.

[wensiensheng]

3 hours ago, wasabi said:

They just installed a pair of those temperature checking machines at my condo this week. Aside from being mildly offended that I am expected to validate my health just to return home it just seems pathetic. Over a year since this started and that is their solution? 98% of residents walk past the machine anyway so not sure who's bright idea that was. Glad I'll be gone in a week. But will gladly return once I'm vaccinated and things calm down here... whenever that is.

The pandemic has been around for a year and STILL Thailand relies on temperature checks for screening. Not just your condo, but everywhere from 7-11 to airports.

 

when are they going to understand what being asymptomatic means? Temperature checks will pick up symptomatic people, but they are pretty obvious anyway because they are perspiring, wheezing and a variety of other things.

 

temperature checks are a psychological crutch, very little more.

[wasabi]

19 minutes ago, wensiensheng said:

The pandemic has been around for a year and STILL Thailand relies on temperature checks for screening. Not just your condo, but everywhere from 7-11 to airports.

 

when are they going to understand what being asymptomatic means? Temperature checks will pick up symptomatic people, but they are pretty obvious anyway because they are perspiring, wheezing and a variety of other things.

 

temperature checks are a psychological crutch, very little more.

 

Exactly. The temperature checks are purely theater -- giving a false sense of comfort and letting people say, well at least we did something in the event someone does come down with Covid. Furthermore the machines are wildly inaccurate. Vaccines are the only solution and the arrogance and incompetence of the people leading the charge has caused them to stumble with this mandate at every step of the way. If Thailand had not let people travel at the worst possible times and focused on vaccination the country would not still be at step 1 as their neighbors will soon be opening up and enjoying the tourist dollars. Possibly mine. Whatever money they thought they were going to save or make via their boneheaded in country manufacturing scheme whilst refusing vaccines from other nations because "Thailand #1!" is now very minor compared to the tourist dollars they could've been making.

Edited May 12, 2021 by wasabi

[Cake Monster]

3 hours ago, clivebaxter said:

Worry not oh ye of little faith, Bioscience will be knocking out the promised first 18 million doses a month in Just over 2 weeks and will have enough left over to sell to others, won't they? ???? 

Its the " enough left over to sell to others " that has me just a tad concerned.

If, and I repeat, if, SB are able to produce 10 Million Doses per Month as Lauded by the High and Mighty, how many will be for use in Thailand every Month before they are " obliged " to Export doses to other SE Asia Nations, because Thailand is the SE Asia center for AZ production.

For sure there will be some kind of Contractual Agreement with AZ over the Percentage produced that have to be Exported to other SE Asia Countries, and this will mean that there will only be some 5 Million Doses ( possibly less ) for Thai use every Month.

The onus will be on the Export side for the Thai Authorities and SB, as they will be able to make Money from that, whereas the Thai doses will have to be at Cost.

Maybe this is an issue with the Vaccination plan that many have overlooked.

[Arkady]

Thai Enquirer information from an unnamed source at the ministry that Siam Biosciences cannot supply its quota of 6 million doses in June seems to fit with the government's recent urgent increase in Sinovac orders and its sudden declaration that Sinovac is safe for over 60s, even though the WHO said the evidence for that, which came from a report from China, was not compelling.  Do the best you can with what you've got.  Stony silence ilence from Astra Zeneca and Siambiosciences.