Thailand to vaccinate vulnerable groups faster as critical cases rise

[snoop1130]

A man stands near health workers at the airport, as Phuket reopens to overseas tourists, allowing foreigners fully vaccinated against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) to visit the resort island without quarantine, in Phuket, Thailand July 1, 2021. REUTERS/Jorge Silva

 

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand will speed up inoculations of elderly and medically vulnerable people to reduce the number of coronavirus patients in critical condition, officials said on Friday, as the country reported a third successive day of record deaths.

 

Health authorities had initially aimed to vaccinate those groups first, but supplies were diverted to factory workers, communities with big outbreaks, and the population of the island of Phuket ahead of this week's reopening to foreign tourists.

 

"We have to vaccinate at least 50% of the two groups by the end of July," senior health official Sopon Mekton told a briefing, referring to the elderly and those with underlying conditions.

 

The two groups combined have a population of 17 million, but only 0.7% or 83,000 of over 60s and 3.1% of people with health conditions have received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine.

 

Officials also warned the Delta variant first identified in India was spreading fast.

 

"The situation will worsen because the Delta variant is taking over," said Kumnuan Ungchusak, a health ministry adviser.

 

Deaths could reach 2,800 a month in September, up from about 900 last month, Kamnuan said. There were 61 deaths reported on Friday.

 

So far, 2.8 million of Thailand's more than 66 million people are fully vaccinated.

 

Thailand was expecting 10 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine to be delivered this month, but the head of its vaccine institute, Nakorn Premsri, said he was notified about half of that would be delivered monthly until September.

 

AstraZeneca's Thai partner, royal-owned Siam Bioscience, can produce about 15 million doses monthly, but part of that is committed to other countries, Nakorn said.

 

Siam Bioscience and AstraZeneca have repeatedly declined to discuss reports of production shortfalls.

 

Thailand has been rushing to secure supplies from other sources, including mRNA vaccines of Moderna and Pfizer and BioNTech.

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2021-07-02

 

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[Jingthing]

People?

Will high risk EXPATS be included as "people" for this new policy? 

I'm afraid that I know the answer to that, but that is a question that really needs to be asked and answered. 

 

Edited July 2, 2021 by Jingthing

[edwardandtubs]

14 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

Thailand was expecting 10 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine to be delivered this month, but the head of its vaccine institute, Nakorn Premsri, said he was notified about half of that would be delivered monthly until September.

In other words, we're screwed.

[smedly]

am I missing something, should this not have been policy from the start ?

 

If not why not

 

The fools are going to come crashing down the first oportunity the Thai people get and I hope what ever wealth they have accumulated is stripped from them and they and other connected cronies are thrown in jail.

[Artisi]

11 minutes ago, smedly said:

am I missing something, should this not have been policy from the start ?

 

If not why not

 

The fools are going to come crashing down the first oportunity the Thai people get and I hope what ever wealth they have accumulated is stripped from them and they and other connected cronies are thrown in jail.

you hope or wish- do you get your father Christmas wishes each year ..... more chance I would think ???????? ????????????????????

[Advocatus Diaboli]

A quote from the Shawshank Redemption comes to mind ….. - “ Get busy living, or get busy dying “.

 

Seems like they have not made up their minds yet.

[RotBenz8888]

39 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

Thailand has been rushing

Since when? 

[NicholasTH]

wasn't this already a priority some weeks ago .. omg 

[grain]

5 minutes ago, kynikoi said:

 

Well where are these 15 million a month vaccines? Being sold to other countries?

[edwinchester]

54 minutes ago, grain said:

Well where are these 15 million a month vaccines? Being sold to other countries?

The licensing agreement between Siam Bioscience and Astrazeneca was that a certain percentage of production in Thailand was to be distributed in SE Asia at cost price.

[connda]

So lets get this straight. 

Here in Thailand those vulnerable groups of Thais susceptible to Covid come after wealthy factory owners, wealthy business interests, and government sponsored tourist traps.

Then, those vulnerable groups of dirty foreigners susceptible to Covid come after wealthy factory owners, wealthy business interests, and government sponsored tourist traps, then elderly and medically vulnerable Thais followed by the rest of the Thai population - but! - before tramps, the homeless, other younger foreigners, and soi dogs. 

Is that about right?

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

2 hours ago, Jingthing said:

People?

Will high risk EXPATS be included as "people" for this new policy? 

I'm afraid that I know the answer to that, but that is a question that really needs to be asked and answered. 

 

There has been a big publicity push this week from the Thai news outlets regarding the opening of a mass walk in (roll in) vaccination center at the Bang Sue rail center in BKK where elderly "people" can get vaccinated on demand, without any appointment or registration or whatever.

 

However, I've seen absolutely nothing as yet that suggests the Bang Sue operation is open for foreign nationals as opposed to Thais.

 

https://www.facebook.com/nbtworld/posts/10158116069222050

 

"People can now take family members who are over 75 years old to receive COVID-19 vaccination at the Bang Sue Central Vaccination Center located at Bang Sue Grand Station in Bangkok. The Department of Medical Services is providing on-site COVID-19 vaccinations for the convenience of the elderly, who may have limited access to technology or are unable to register for their vaccination online. The elderly can receive a vaccination at the Bang Sue Central Vaccination Center until July 18th, 2021.

 

Yesterday, (June 30th) was the first day that on-site vaccination was offered to people over 75 years old at the vaccination center in Bang Sue. Many people arrived before the center opened at 9:30 a.m. Some were strong enough to travel on their own, while others were accompanied by younger family members. Due to hot weather, officials opened the center before schedule and helped people with their registration, blood pressure checks, vaccine administration and symptom monitoring."

 

[poohy]

Health authorities had initially aimed to vaccinate those groups first, but supplies were diverted to factory workers, communities with big outbreaks, and the population of the island of Phuket ahead of this week's reopening to foreign tourists

 

 

 

So basically lets make money.......people can just die!

[champers]

1 hour ago, grain said:

Well where are these 15 million a month vaccines? Being sold to other countries?

Astra Zeneca chose Thailand as the production facility for SE Asian countries; a hub if you will. Thailand cannot just keep all produced vaccines for herself.

[Eibot]

1 hour ago, connda said:

So lets get this straight. 

Here in Thailand those vulnerable groups of Thais susceptible to Covid come after wealthy factory owners, wealthy business interests, and government sponsored tourist traps.

Then, those vulnerable groups of dirty foreigners susceptible to Covid come after wealthy factory owners, wealthy business interests, and government sponsored tourist traps, then elderly and medically vulnerable Thais followed by the rest of the Thai population - but! - before tramps, the homeless, other younger foreigners, and soi dogs. 

Is that about right?

Got my AZ vacinne last week here in Phuket. Non-O marriage extension (no work permit). I'm 31 Years old.

The rest of Thailand seems to be doing F all.

[clivebaxter]

'Thailand was expecting 10 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine to be delivered this month, but the head of its vaccine institute, Nakorn Premsri, said he was notified about half of that would be delivered monthly until September.'

 

The truth at last

[EricTh]

No wonder most foreigners can't get the vaccines. It all went to the Phuket people for their 'grand tourism opening'.

 

 

Edited July 2, 2021 by EricTh

[grego49]

4 hours ago, smedly said:

am I missing something, should this not have been policy from the start ?

 

If not why not

 

The fools are going to come crashing down the first oportunity the Thai people get and I hope what ever wealth they have accumulated is stripped from them and they and other connected cronies are thrown in jail.

We live in hope,,,

[RichardColeman]

Not to worry, Japan considers Thailand 3rd world and are sending some vaccines.

 

 

[welshguy]

Serious question.

 

Is Thailand the only country, world wide which hasnt vaccinated their elderly and vulnerable people as the first priority "group" to be vaccinated ?

 

I wouldnt have thought there would me many more countries which hasnt vaccinated their elderly and most medically vulnerable people first?

[Soikhaonoiken]

Thailand to speed up vaccination to the elderly..... They should speed up vaccination to all the population of Thailand,... 2.8 million out of 66 million in a year,... What a pathetic effort by this Government.... 

[Rampant Rabbit]

6 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

royal-owned

So  no criticism  will be tolerated,  good  job  Thailand

[Rampant Rabbit]

17 minutes ago, Soikhaonoiken said:

Thailand to speed up vaccination to the elderly..... They should speed up vaccination to all the population of Thailand,... 2.8 million out of 66 million in a year,... What a pathetic effort by this Government.... 

Words  like "speed up"  are totally meaningless, vaccinate 1000 one day and 1001  the next day = "speeded  up"

[Rampant Rabbit]

1 hour ago, welshguy said:

Serious question.

 

Is Thailand the only country, world wide which hasnt vaccinated their elderly and vulnerable people as the first priority "group" to be vaccinated ?

 

I wouldnt have thought there would me many more countries which hasnt vaccinated their elderly and most medically vulnerable people first?

They should  make  all  Thais MP's that way they would  have had the whole population done by now

[Rampant Rabbit]

2 hours ago, clivebaxter said:

The truth at last

You overestimate that in Thailand

[bradiston]

I suggest AstraZaneca go back to Taiwan and beg them to take the contract they were offered, but for a reasonable quantity, not the 300,000,000 doses they were asking for before they went to Thailand. The Taiwanese were honest and realistic in their appraisal of the contract, and decided it was more than they could produce. The rest is history.

[DrJack54]

6230. New cases and 41 death. Today

So yes can we please have some vaccine.

Edited July 3, 2021 by DrJack54

[mtls2005]

Today's "plan".

 

Will be interesting when the second doses of AZ come due; starting 1 Sep unless they go (back, again) to 16 weeks.

 

What will the "plan" be then?

 

One shot is good enough? Get at least one dose into as many people as possible.

[brommers]

10 hours ago, champers said:

Astra Zeneca chose Thailand as the production facility for SE Asian countries; a hub if you will. Thailand cannot just keep all produced vaccines for herself.

Oh yes it can. The UK did it, the EU did it, India did it! 

[jesimps]

12 hours ago, smedly said:

am I missing something, should this not have been policy from the start ?

 

If not why not

 

The fools are going to come crashing down the first oportunity the Thai people get and I hope what ever wealth they have accumulated is stripped from them and they and other connected cronies are thrown in jail.

I guess your no longer a fan of the generals in suits. I hate to say I told you so, but .........