Different Registrations for Different Vaccines

[DogNo1]

After my conversation with Bumrungrad this afternoon, I have come to understand that there are two different registration procedures.   Bumrungrad has my name on a list that will reserve a Moderna (and maybe Pfizer) shot in the September - November timeframe and if I want the Chinese or AstraZeneca vaccine, I must make a separate reservation through the www. thailandintervac.com website or one of the designated locations such as 7-11, etc.  Who knows what that timeframe will be for foreigners.

'In short, one reservation does not cover all of the vaccines.   Of course, vaccines donated by America may trigger a third vaccination queue!

[Puccini]

I don't know and I have a feeling that nobody else knows.

[internationalism]

7/11 are for thai.

Might got an appointment for July, if you are in a risk group (probably includes all bangkokians, but not confirmed). 

There are those who registered through May with pink card, they rather would be before those registering now. And they have dates from June to August.

Timing for jab pretty much depends on availability. Now and within the near future there is more sinovac than AZ  

 

[Nonthaburi Boy]

This isn’t really the situation - even though it is unclear, that is not it. With a pinch of salt, and just because I have a thick skin and don’t mind being wrong as long as I wasn’t being stupid, here is what I see. There are two channels only for now.

 

For a free vaccine and a pretty good chance (touch wood and dependent on the local production line running smoothly) of getting it well before October you need to register with the government agencies, when they are open for registration for foreigners (over 60 or unhealthy should be opening next week). Which vaccine you get will depend on luck, or rather how much of each vaccine the government have and where they send it. In a month or so locally manufactured Astra Zeneca should be the most likely, but very significant amounts of Sinovac will be about and so will some Moderna (e.g., US donations) and (probably/possibly) Pfizer and Sinopharm. You cannot really choose your vaccine with this option, other than by walking out or not going when you see what you are going to get and trying to register again (and repeat until you get satisfactory result or are blacklisted). 

 

See whether the registration for the over-60s foreigners goes ahead via that website from next week and whether it crashes or chaos otherwise results. If they get through that, then registrations for other foreigners should open up quite soonish after (again, touch wood). All bets are again off for Bangkok if this channel collapses - back to ‘watch this space’ but because us economically valuable foreigners are mostly here in Bangkok they do want to get us vaccinated. There should also be a lot of vaccine supply in Bangkok compared to most other provinces as all roads lead there and as long as Bangkok is sick the whole country will be sick, in more ways than one.

 

You likely can’t use the 7-11 or other channels - some people have managed to register via booths, government hospitals and even apps and some may even get the shots but it doesn’t seem a reliable way to get it done for the vast majority of us.

 

If you choose to wait for a paid shot arranged through a private hospital you know you have to wait until at least September or (more commonly quoted) October. You will then have the option to get whatever they are able to source - seems like Moderna are open to taking an order, but I haven’t seen any evidence that anybody has actually ordered it yet and what Bumrungrad are actually saying is “if we get some in September or October we’ll call you”. They will probably ask you to identify what vaccine you want, but tick as many as possible if you want a shot soonest - I included Astra Zeneca in my ticks, for example. I am happy to have AZ but if, for some reason, I change my mind I can always say ‘no’ and quote a conspiracy theory as a reason for the change of heart. Private companies were supposed to be able to get Sinopharm much sooner than this, but whether they actually will seems ‘likely but unclear’ - our company has abandoned plans to source the vaccine for employees because it is more likely they will get it considerably sooner through the government roll out and I imagine a lot of other companies will decide the same.  The private hospitals seem more confident now that the private option is actually going to happen this year, and the ‘when’ is fairly consistent, but it’s just a ‘firmish’ plan as far as I can see and the consistency could just be because it is only 1-2 purchases via the same agent and that’s what the agent says.

 

But yes, you can register twice (well once as of today if in Bangkok and even that is an ‘expression of interest’ registration) as the systems are completely separate for now - and you probably should if you are not sure you will just take what you are offered. 

 

 

 

 

[Nonthaburi Boy]

2 minutes ago, Nonthaburi Boy said:

This isn’t really the situation - even though it is unclear, that is not it. With a pinch of salt, and just because I have a thick skin and don’t mind being wrong as long as I wasn’t being stupid, here is what I see. There are two channels only for now.

 

For a free vaccine and a pretty good chance (touch wood and dependent on the local production line running smoothly) of getting it well before October you need to register with the government agencies, when they are open for registration for foreigners (over 60 or unhealthy should be opening next week). Which vaccine you get will depend on luck, or rather how much of each vaccine the government have and where they send it. In a month or so locally manufactured Astra Zeneca should be the most likely, but very significant amounts of Sinovac will be about and so will some Moderna (e.g., US donations) and (probably/possibly) Pfizer and Sinopharm. You cannot really choose your vaccine with this option, other than by walking out or not going when you see what you are going to get and trying to register again (and repeat until you get satisfactory result or are blacklisted). 

 

See whether the registration for the over-60s foreigners goes ahead via that website from next week and whether it crashes or chaos otherwise results. If they get through that, then registrations for other foreigners should open up quite soonish after (again, touch wood). All bets are again off for Bangkok if this channel collapses - back to ‘watch this space’ but because us economically valuable foreigners are mostly here in Bangkok they do want to get us vaccinated. There should also be a lot of vaccine supply in Bangkok compared to most other provinces as all roads lead there and as long as Bangkok is sick the whole country will be sick, in more ways than one.

 

You likely can’t use the 7-11 or other channels - some people have managed to register via booths, government hospitals and even apps and some may even get the shots but it doesn’t seem a reliable way to get it done for the vast majority of us.

 

If you choose to wait for a paid shot arranged through a private hospital you know you have to wait until at least September or (more commonly quoted) October. You will then have the option to get whatever they are able to source - seems like Moderna are open to taking an order, but I haven’t seen any evidence that anybody has actually ordered it yet and what Bumrungrad are actually saying is “if we get some in September or October we’ll call you”. They will probably ask you to identify what vaccine you want, but tick as many as possible if you want a shot soonest - I included Astra Zeneca in my ticks, for example. I am happy to have AZ but if, for some reason, I change my mind I can always say ‘no’ and quote a conspiracy theory as a reason for the change of heart. Private companies were supposed to be able to get Sinopharm much sooner than this, but whether they actually will seems ‘likely but unclear’ - our company has abandoned plans to source the vaccine for employees because it is more likely they will get it considerably sooner through the government roll out and I imagine a lot of other companies will decide the same.  The private hospitals seem more confident now that the private option is actually going to happen this year, and the ‘when’ is fairly consistent, but it’s just a ‘firmish’ plan as far as I can see and the consistency could just be because it is only 1-2 purchases via the same agent and that’s what the agent says.

 

But yes, you can register twice (well once as of today if in Bangkok and even that is an ‘expression of interest’ registration) as the systems are completely separate for now - and you probably should if you are not sure you will just take what you are offered. 

 

 

 

 

Oops - I forgot Johnson & Johnson - just as likely to enter government supply at some point as Moderna and Pfizer I guess.