Thailand’s failure to procure mRNA vaccines proving costly as contagion spreads

[webfact]

(Photo by Lillian SUWANRUMPHA / AFP)

 

Millions of Thais are closely following developments in the country’s acquisition of mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines, which are believed to be the most effective against the new coronavirus and its variants. Despite growing public anxiety over the country’s worsening outbreak, no mRNA vaccines are available in Thailand to date.

 

With a current daily toll of 5,000-plus new cases and dozens of fatalities, the government is offering only the AstraZeneca and Sinovac vaccines to people for free. For those willing to pay, the Sinopharm vaccine is also available. AstraZeneca is a viral-vector vaccine, while the Chinese Sinovac and Sinopharm brands are inactivated vaccines.

 

Thais’ patience is now running thin in the face of soaring COVID-19 cases and fatalities, and a widespread concern that the vaccines available are not capable of controlling an outbreak now being driven by the Delta variant. Several doctors, after all, have come down with the disease despite having already had two shots of the Sinovac vaccine.

 

Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/thailands-failure-to-procure-mrna-vaccines-proving-costly-as-contagion-spreads/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2021-07-05

 

[chalawaan]

"Pfizer finally revealed it had been offering to supply its vaccine to Thailand all along. Yet, the government firmly stuck to its plan to use locally produced doses of AstraZeneca, along with China’s Sinovac.

Only after Pfizer spoke up publicly did the government’s negotiations to procure its vaccine seem to make some progress."

 

Those that cast their information net wider than the morally and ethically corrupt censorship imposed on local media, know the real reasons behind this debacle. 

 

I wonder when or if the majority of locals will ever get that memo.

Edited July 5, 2021 by chalawaan

[RotBenz8888]

Seems like those who went on vaccin holiday in the US made the right thing, costly, but Moderna/Pfizer is a great insurance. 

[Sir Dude]

Well, can't shake the idea that it's all been done by design by dark forces/vested interests in the usual autocratic style. The love affair for Sinovac probably stems from cost and political appeasement along with the AZ/Bioscience tie-up mostly about control and price. Doesn't seem to be coincidence too that the decent vaccines all come from places that have very serious laws on brown envelopes so not much opportunity for profit... hence the insistence that everyone pay up-front for Moderna. I sincerely doubt that doing the right thing comes into any of it.

Edited July 5, 2021 by Sir Dude
Typos

[trainman34014]

''Thai's patience is running thin ''.   Guess this means a few Students will be out or someone will be delivering a petition to 'Important People' who will then deposit it in the bin.

 

What's needed is what the Population'e of Burma and Brazil are now doing !

[ThailandRyan]

14 minutes ago, webfact said:

Several doctors, after all, have come down with the disease despite having already had two shots of the Sinovac vaccine.

I have not talked to the doctors who I now that went to the US and obtained the Pfizer vaccine in March and April, but I am sure when I see them they will be very sad that some of their colleagues have been infected because of this governments failure to obtain more than the Chinese vaccine and the one manufactured here.  Many of the Thais we know will not get vaccinated with the Sinovac vaccine in light of social media items they have seen and read from other countries who have used the vaccine as well as knowing people who are now positive for covid after having the Sinovac vaccine in April and May.

[chalawaan]

4 minutes ago, Sir Dude said:

Well, can't shake the idea that it's all been done by design by dark forces/vested interests in the usual autocratic style. The love affair for Sinovac probably stems from cost and political appeasement along with the AZ/Bioscience tie-up mostly about control and price. Doesn't seem to be coincidence too that the decent vaccines all come from places that have very serious laws on brown envelopes so not much opportunity for profit... hence the insistence that everyone pay up-front for Moderna. I sincerely doubt that doing the right thing comes into any of it.

The costs of all available vaccines are not much different. It's all about scams, kickbacks, old boys club, and the like, don't forget the mask rort back in 2020 that implicated the worlds most famous flour exporter!

[worgeordie]

A large private Hospital in Chiang Mai was offering Moderna vaccines,

for October , number of doses 300  !, that's going to make a huge difference , I was

going to put a rolling eyes emoji, but something else not working .......

regards Worgeordie

 

[TheFishman1]

The whole Thai government bit should be ashamed of themselves but then again so I don’t know if Thia people ever are ashamed of themselves This whole roll out it’s been a joke for a foreigner living in Thailand to get vaccine should be a simple thing I guess when the government has an order any or the right amount it’s a difficult task at best the numbers are getting worse the government is doing nothing T IT

[mtls2005]

Too late to join COVAX I guess?

 

Another in a series of 'brilliant' decisions.

 

Get that tin cup out and start begging,

 

Thank you China, Japan and the U.S.

 

 

[BKKTRAVELER]

It seems that Thailand having been chosen to locally manufacture AZ has also been its downfall...

 

Most people expected the production to be slower than the government estimated and it lead to short supplies. And all this time, the government put all their hopes toward Siam Bioscience instead of trying to secure Pfizer and Moderna for the last 6 months or so. Result is, not enough supplies, AZ is not as efficient and they are trying to patch their mistake by ordering more Sinovac which also turns out to be less effective and less and less people want it.

 

They should have tried to only bid for Pfizer and Moderna since day 1, not spend their budget elsewhere and things would probably be better now.

 

Again, I'm no expert and may very well be wrong.

[sammieuk1]

Covid is the only thing proping up the government fleeing plans are not yet finalised 

[mfd101]

Corruption + incompetence has only one possible outcome.

[MajorTom]

At the same time as there is a vaccine shortage: This mess with the Moderna order.

-The Private hospitals can not order directly. So the government has to order for them. But they keep arguing now that the private hospitals have not told them how many they want, so they cant make an order.. Because the government does not want to take the financial risk of ordering too many...????

 

There is a shortage? Order as many millions you can get. Yesterday!

[Katipo]

Negotiate with suppliers? Or with the health and livelihood of the Thai people?

[unblocktheplanet]

29 minutes ago, mfd101 said:

Corruption + incompetence has only one possible outcome.

Ya fergot greed...

[Thomas J]

Several very strange points.  Why if Pfizer said it could supply the vaccine was there hesitancy to order it.  Why would any agreement between Thailand and Pfizer be subject to a non disclosure.  Lastly, despite everything being approved why is Thailand still sitting on its hands and not signing the purchase order contract. 

 

[natway09]

SiamBio Science has exported how many doses of their contracted obligations ??

Money before health of your own again ?

[mfd101]

12 minutes ago, unblocktheplanet said:

Ya fergot greed...

Greed is - in most contexts and certainly in Thailand - a subset of corruption.

[Justgrazing]

Reap what ye sow .. or not in this case .. 

The refusal to enter into the Covax scheme was always going to ensure uncertainty about how they would deal C V going forward .. now the continuing procrastination and foot dragging over buying in Vax will ensure the outcome will not be a positive one when applied to the mushroom cloud of infections starting to envelope the country .. 

 

Ultimately this is an insight into the moral structure of Thailand wherein the adminstration running the country place a greater emphasis on procurement of military hardware than providing it's citizens with adequate health care and protection .. 

[Thomas J]

Rahm Emanuel - Former Obama Chief of Staff and Former Mayor of Chicago. 

Edited July 5, 2021 by Thomas J

[Artisi]

52 minutes ago, Thomas J said:

Several very strange points.  Why if Pfizer said it could supply the vaccine was there hesitancy to order it.  Why would any agreement between Thailand and Pfizer be subject to a non disclosure.  Lastly, despite everything being approved why is Thailand still sitting on its hands and not signing the purchase order contract. 

 

Need you ask? 

[hotchilli]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Thais’ patience is now running thin in the face of soaring COVID-19 cases and fatalities, and a widespread concern that the vaccines available are not capable of controlling an outbreak now being driven by the Delta variant. Several doctors, after all, have come down with the disease despite having already had two shots of the Sinovac vaccine.

Thailands failure.... sorry I have to make a correction....

PRAYUTS FAILURE....

his single handed obstinate attitude in buying only Sinos**t and his blatant blocking of private institutions from sourcing anything else has cost this nation billions, and is now costing lives.

And it's not under control yet, on the contrary it's escalating daily.

[Thomas J]

26 minutes ago, Artisi said:

Need you ask? 

Well obviously there is an inducement to use Sinovac.  However the Thai government does not produce Sinovac.  Do you believe that they are being induced, or being coerced to slow walk procuring any other vaccines.  It sure looks that way but you would think the tourist groups in Thailand would be providing more as any incentive to get their businesses open than the pharmaceutical nations would to use their vaccine predominantly. 

 

[MajorTom]

31 minutes ago, Thomas J said:

Well obviously there is an inducement to use Sinovac.  However the Thai government does not produce Sinovac.  Do you believe that they are being induced, or being coerced to slow walk procuring any other vaccines.  It sure looks that way but you would think the tourist groups in Thailand would be providing more as any incentive to get their businesses open than the pharmaceutical nations would to use their vaccine predominantly. 

 

If they are induced to use Sinovac they are probably compromised somehow. Breaking the deal and switching to other vaccines could have conseqenses for those in power?

[Isaan sailor]

On top of all this, western currencies took a nosedive today.  Gotta love the irony:  Thailand has vaccine rollout problems, and the mighty Baht rules supreme again.

[BritManToo]

1 minute ago, Isaan sailor said:

On top of all this, western currencies took a nosedive today.

Checks XE in a blind panic ........... pound at 44.4, same as it's been for the last week.

[bert bloggs]

26 minutes ago, Isaan sailor said:

On top of all this, western currencies took a nosedive today.  Gotta love the irony:  Thailand has vaccine rollout problems, and the mighty Baht rules supreme again.

Actually the pound rose against the baht the dollor and the euro.

[hotchilli]

20 hours ago, Sir Dude said:

Well, can't shake the idea that it's all been done by design by dark forces/vested interests in the usual autocratic style. The love affair for Sinovac probably stems from cost and political appeasement along with the AZ/Bioscience tie-up mostly about control and price. Doesn't seem to be coincidence too that the decent vaccines all come from places that have very serious laws on brown envelopes so not much opportunity for profit... hence the insistence that everyone pay up-front for Moderna. I sincerely doubt that doing the right thing comes into any of it.

Thailand seems to have a penchant for buying what's cheap, useless or has the best deal for personal enrichment.

Funny how Sino-something and the locally made AZ are the only vaccines available.

All the others were until recently blocked by you-know-who for obvious reasons.

Now the smelly stuff has hit the fan they're scrambling to get something in that actually works but aren't willing to foot the bill.... patients must buy it themselves.

[colinneil]

20 hours ago, webfact said:

Thais’ patience is now running thin in the face of soaring COVID-19 cases and fatalities,

Heart breaking situation, many people dying due to Prayuts stupidity/ greed, and his pathetic lack of caring for the general population.

When covid first appeared here the government did a sterling job at preventing it spreading.

The students were protesting wanting a change of government.

That and money were the main reasons Prayut and cronies let things slide, desperation of keeping control, keeping the flow of money into their off shore accounts.

Now the situation is dire, they have completely lost control, they are wallowing about like a pod of beached whales, have absolutely no idea of what they are doing.

Past time for them to go, and at least give others a chance.