First AstraZeneca vaccine exports from Thailand to Philippines delayed - govt adviser

[snoop1130]

FILE PHOTO: A vial labelled with the AstraZeneca coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine is seen in this illustration picture taken March 19, 2021. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

 

MANILA (Reuters) - Delivery to the Philippines of the first batches of a promised 17 million doses of AstraZeneca's coronavirus vaccine made in Thailand has been delayed by several weeks, a Philippine presidential adviser said on Tuesday.

 

The delay raises questions about AstraZeneca's vaccine distribution plan in Southeast Asia, which depend on 200 million doses made by Siam Bioscience, a company owned by Thailand's king that is making vaccines for the first time.

 

Joey Concepcion, a presidential adviser who has been coordinating vaccine procurement with the Philippine government and private sector, told Reuters that AstraZeneca had told him delivery of the first batch of 1.3 million doses would have to be pushed back from the third week of June to mid-July and also reduced to 1.17 million doses.

 

AstraZeneca and Siam Bioscience did not immediately reply to questions about production at the Thai plant.

 

Concepcion said he was in touch daily with AstraZeneca and was told there were delays in Thai production.

 

"It is a new plant they are running ... that is how it is when you start a new plant," he said.

 

The second batch of 1.3 million would also be reduced to 1.17 million and has been moved from July to August delivery, Concepcion said.

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2021-06-01

 

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[petedk]

No surprise there.

 

Quote

"It is a new plant they are running ... that is how it is when you start a new plant," he said.

Exactly what many TV posters said.

In another report Anutin said that the vaccine rollout will start on the 7th as planned. I guess that will be the Sinovac vaccine. People wanting AstraZeneca will probably have to wait.

[chalawaan]

You mean they'll put the national good before a fat profit? 

Somebody must have had too mutt Sangsom (Blue Label) at lunch.

[tomazbodner]

1.3 million doses to 1.17 million doses, delayed only a couple of weeks doesn't sound very serious for a new plant that never produced vaccines before.

 

If they dropped 90%+ like Gamalaya, that could be significant concern. And it's not like AZ vaccine has always been delivered on time and promised quantities. Isn't EU just in the middle of lawsuit against it for the same thing?

[internationalism]

there were rumours that AZ in June will be less than half of promised 6mln doses.

so no surprise it's export is delayed.

Still, looks like they are going make an export a priority. Even if they are forced to import much more expensive sinovac for 650b and sinopharm for up to $72 per dose.

Thai AZ costs $7.7 (in comparison in EU it's only $2.18).

But there is logic in it, there is profit to be made by the local private company. And for the import the taxpayer forks out

[ikke1959]

In Thailand a shortage of Astra Zenica .. They can not deliver in time according to Anutin..now we know why....they are sold to the Philippines

[Soikhaonoiken]

Why is Thailand selling vaccines to the Philippines before they have even started vaccination of there own people,  total greed.. never mind the Thai people that the PM said he loves so much a few weeks back, 

They should only be selling locally produced AZ once everyone in Thailand been has received both jabs... 

[RichardColeman]

8 hours ago, petedk said:

People wanting AstraZeneca will probably have to wait.

.......and wait, and wait, and wait, and wait, and .............................

[edwinchester]

4 hours ago, Soikhaonoiken said:

Why is Thailand selling vaccines to the Philippines before they have even started vaccination of there own people,  total greed.. never mind the Thai people that the PM said he loves so much a few weeks back, 

They should only be selling locally produced AZ once everyone in Thailand been has received both jabs... 

That was the agreement entered into with AZ to build the production plant in Thailand.

Siam Bioscience was to produce vaccine's for SE Asia as a whole not just Thailand.

[mtls2005]

Interesting that the Philippine's government official is named and speaks on the record.

 

Meanwhile, Thailand, where SiamBioscience, AZ/THA are radio-silent, and any officials who comment do so anonymously.

 

I love the smell of transparency in the morning.

 

 

[realfunster]

10 hours ago, Soikhaonoiken said:

Why is Thailand selling vaccines to the Philippines before they have even started vaccination of there own people,  total greed.. never mind the Thai people that the PM said he loves so much a few weeks back, 

They should only be selling locally produced AZ once everyone in Thailand been has received both jabs... 

 

Thailand are producing under license from AZ, part of that agreement is mandatory export of a certain amount of Thai production to other countries in SE Asia. 

[realfunster]

10 hours ago, chalawaan said:

You mean they'll put the national good before a fat profit? 

Somebody must have had too mutt Sangsom (Blue Label) at lunch.

 

Nonsense post. Thailand is producing under license and agreement with AZ.

[ExpatOilWorker]

46 minutes ago, edwinchester said:

That was the agreement entered into with AZ to build the production plant in Thailand.

Siam Bioscience was to produce vaccine's for SE Asia as a whole not just Thailand.

It will be interesting to see how many doses are allocated to Laos, Myanmar,  Cambodia and Malaysia. Surely those shipments are also delayed?

[MasterBaker]

https://www.thaienquirer.com/28152/opinion-siam-bioscience-has-become-an-international-embarrassment/

[hotchilli]

12 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

"It is a new plant they are running ... that is how it is when you start a new plant," he said.

So Thailands only hope of it's major supply of vaccines is resting on a new, untested facility in Thailand.

What could possibly go wrong?

[hotchilli]

5 hours ago, realfunster said:

 

Thailand are producing under license from AZ, part of that agreement is mandatory export of a certain amount of Thai production to other countries in SE Asia. 

 

And I bet AZ are starting to regret that decision.

[mtls2005]

17 minutes ago, MasterBaker said:

https://www.thaienquirer.com/28152/opinion-siam-bioscience-has-become-an-international-embarrassment/

 

Ouch. That'll leave a mark.

 

 

Khun Cod can be blistering, assume he'll be sent off for attitude adjsutment soon?

 

Further assume the regime will consolidate attitude adjustment camps and COVID field hopsitals.

 

 

 

 

[internationalism]

I have saved the whole article, before it gets deleted, which it will be.

this the last paragraph:

"If and when this pandemic ever gets under control, the people responsible for this vaccination crisis must be brought to stand trial because what is happening is criminal."

[MasterBaker]

8 minutes ago, internationalism said:

I have saved the whole article, before it gets deleted, which it will be.

this the last paragraph:

"If and when this pandemic ever gets under control, the people responsible for this vaccination crisis must be brought to stand trial because what is happening is criminal."

this website is my favorite source of information about Thailand, you may be interested in this one too: https://www.thaienquirer.com/28101/public-health-ministry-ccsa-grow-increasingly-frustrated-with-bangkok-met/

[poskat]

this makes sense...they need to use up as much of the sinovac as they can so they are not left with too much left over when there are other options available, and no one will choose to take it.

 

all these delays of vaccines other than sinovac that dont make sense or seem to be mistakes become clear when you look at them through the lens of corruption about maintaining their vaccine monopoly

Edited June 2, 2021 by poskat

[ICELANDMAN]

 

Nine countries have meanwhile banned the use of the AZ vaccine but this does not seem to disturb anyone in Asia or even Thailand.

 

[starky]

2 hours ago, mtls2005 said:

Interesting that the Philippine's government official is named and speaks on the record.

 

Meanwhile, Thailand, where SiamBioscience, AZ/THA are radio-silent, and any officials who comment do so anonymously.

 

I love the smell of transparency in the morning.

 

 

Well isn't it blatantly obvious why there is no comment from Siam bioscience?  Any comment would have to be glowing, anything else could be suicide.

[Bkktodd]

Siam Bioscience....no comment.  Guess the owner is busy with other pressing matters at/in hand

[Bkktodd]

30 minutes ago, ICELANDMAN said:

 

Nine countries have meanwhile banned the use of the AZ vaccine but this does not seem to disturb anyone in Asia or even Thailand.

 

A few blood clots risks are outweighed by the over good it can do.  Flue shots as well as other prescriptions have killed and are written in that fine print we never read

[Nojohndoe]

The Philippines are also recipients of vaccine through the Covax  facility so it would be interesting to know where and how this export order from the Thailand AZ production came to be. 

Is it part of the assigned rights for local production agreement ?

In addition there is this interesting item which I believe is confirmation of the politicization effort driving the bias everywhere.

https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Coronavirus/COVID-vaccines/Philippines-fights-vaccine-bias-in-face-of-Pfizer-preference

 

[Cake Monster]

I wonder what kind of delays the other Nations in SE Asia will face due to the inability of SB to produce Vaccines on time. Will Thailand also suffer shortages on their deliveries, or will Peter pay Paul.

Should be no problem to them as Sinovac ( Today approved by WHO ) seems to be plentiful.

Just pick up the phone and drop off another Million doses.

[connda]

President Duterte will be mimicking Anutin.

"We Have Contracts!!!"  <laughs>

[orchis]

AZ in Thailand is also delayed.
My Thai friend had an appointment for July 31 at a hospital in Chiangmai
which has now been suspended.

[connda]

10 minutes ago, orchis said:

AZ in Thailand is also delayed.
My Thai friend had an appointment for July 31 at a hospital in Chiangmai
which has now been suspended.

All the while Anutin continues his public statements that there are "vaccines for everyone."  It will be interesting how he dances away from that public statement.  But when he wiggles away he will leave a wake of public mistrust.  For some reason he believes there will be no personal blowback from making unbelievable statements.
Unless it begins to rain vaccines from the heavens in the next four days, he'll be losing serious face very shortly.  Then, as the Minister of Health, he'll release the Spin-Doctors.

[mtls2005]

AstraZeneca confirms it will deliver 6m locally made doses in June

 

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40001584