Thailand wants to limit export of locally-produced AstraZeneca vaccine

[webfact]

(Photo by LOIC VENANCE / AFP)

 

Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health is to go ahead with a temporary restriction on the export of locally-produced AstraZeneca vaccine, to ensure sufficient supply for domestic use, in the wake of the relentless spread of COVID-19 in the country.

 

Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said today that he has instructed Dr. Nakorn Premsri, director of the National Vaccine Institute, to draft a ministerial announcement to set the appropriate proportion of AstraZeneca vaccine for export and for domestic use, which will be submitted to the CCSA for consideration.

 

The Public Health Ministry wants to take delivery of ten million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine per month.

 

Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/thailand-wants-to-limit-export-of-locally-produced-astrazeneca-vaccine/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2021-07-19

 

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[Soikhaonoiken]

And so they should, look after the Thai people first.. 

I understand that when production was 1st set up, the agreement was to supply to other Asian Countries, didn't Thailand think they would need a vaccine, and it was all about the money.... 

[ukrules]

35 minutes ago, Soikhaonoiken said:

And so they should, look after the Thai people first.. 

I understand that when production was 1st set up, the agreement was to supply to other Asian Countries, didn't Thailand think they would need a vaccine, and it was all about the money.... 

If they break the contract then it will be nullified and that will be the end of AZ in Thailand - and they will deserve it.

 

There is a supply chain in operation here, without the continued cooperation of AZ and their special ingredients  it all ends.

 

[ourmanflint]

So much for Asean neighbours all working together for the benefit of all. If Thailand stops exports I would expect very strong blowback from the south

[Damrongsak]

They should read and heed the book "How to Make Friends and Influence People".  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/How_to_Win_Friends_and_Influence_People

 

[faraday]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

draft a ministerial announcement to set the appropriate proportion of AstraZeneca vaccine for export and for domestic use, which will be submitted to the CCSA for consideration.

"Draft" + "Consideration" 

 

Meanwhile, cases rise each day, & they faff around, with wooly language like this.

 

In truth, I think this is about how much dosh they can make, nothing else.

[herfiehandbag]

Goodness, I should imagine that Astra Zeneca curse the day they ever got involved with Thailand!

 

[utalkin2me]

Don’t send a single vial out until your own population is vaxxed. 
 

Vaccination is the one and only tool we have that is proven to work against this virus. When that sinks in with people and they understand that statement, I think they will ramp up vaccine efforts. Hopefully soon. 
 

Open everything IMO because that will get the Thai govt 100% focused on vaxxing their population, and to stop wasting time on utterly useless and resource wasting policies. 

[mtls2005]

This feels like a PR stunt, just trying make himself look slightly less incompetent by appearing to doing something, and blaming AZ.

 

Publicly threatening AZ is a bad and childish move.

 

Now would be a good time to release the unredacted version of the THL-AZ contract.

 

 

[Moonfire]

Translation, no one wants to buy it.

[realfunster]

26 minutes ago, utalkin2me said:

Don’t send a single vial out until your own population is vaxxed. 
 

Vaccination is the one and only tool we have that is proven to work against this virus. When that sinks in with people and they understand that statement, I think they will ramp up vaccine efforts. Hopefully soon. 
 

Open everything IMO because that will get the Thai govt 100% focused on vaxxing their population, and to stop wasting time on utterly useless and resource wasting policies. 

 

You do realize the complete logical fallacies of your statement ?

1) If every country took that ‘me first’ attitude we would probably be waiting until 2022 or 2023 for any significant vaccine numbers to arrive in Thailand at all.

2) The vaccine production is under the control of AZ, not Thailand. 

 

Thailand agreed to be a good regional citizen (and benefit it’s own population) by setting up a licensed AZ regional production facility. They underestimated their demand, which they stated at 3m per month and now increased to 10m per month. They rejected AZ’s suggestion to also join COVAX. They didn’t put in place any significant alternative supplies, apart from the Chinese vaccines.

 

According to the leaked documents, AZ has now offered to increase this supply to Thailand to 5-6m per month. Other doses are to be exported to equally hard-hit countries such as PPines, Indonesia and Malaysia.

 

Now, under increasing domestic political pressure, the Thai government are spitting out their dummies and ‘demanding’ the 10m per month. I hope AZ stand their ground and tell them to do a running jump.

[realfunster]

23 minutes ago, HaoleBoy said:

Talk from Anutin about reneging on the AZ contract,  but nothing on the company that can't meet production quotas.  No fiduciary restrictions (dropping the price) or even a statement from the company saying why.  This coming from a person / family listed in the top-10 richest families in the WORLD and not a private citizen either. 

 

Ripping up the AZ contract would be a huge gamble for Thailand.

 

Others might look away, on the other hand, vaccine production supply chains might get cut-off and international condemnation may be severe. 

[recom273]

Doesn't Thailand need to be part of the unified supply chain - Its slightly worrying if they go through with this, although I understand India has done this.

 

If we are solely dependent upon Thai production we will all be waiting for a long time.

[mtls2005]

This gem is being polished and presented as justification. 

 

Of course there's always a law, act, rule.

 

National Vaccine Security Act
B.E. 2561 (2018

 

Section 18

 

(2) The proportion of temporary vaccine exportation out of the Kingdom shall be proper for the
proportion of domestic vaccine usage;

 

http://nvi.go.th/index.php/files/large/208f6bc83adf0bd

[internationalism]

thailand has contracted only 3mln per month.

The AZ has now agreed to give 5mln monthly.

And now asking for 10mln is stretching it too far. For over a month of negotiations the AZ is not caving in.

It was "dr" Anutin's mistake to underestimate needed doses.

Now he tries to bully his way to safe his face.

Why only today contract with yet another producer, Moderna, is to be signed, while contract with pfizer was signed over a month ago? 

Where is sputnik deal?

The first negotiations for all those 3 started just after songkran, when cabinet came back from extended holidays and prayuth nominated himself a czar. Despite swift initial talks they stalled for not any other reason, as to allow more sinovac import (since then an additional 21mln were contracted and large part of it has already made it's way to thailand).

What is a game and who plays it? 

[jacko45k]

15 minutes ago, realfunster said:

According to the leaked documents, AZ has now offered to increase this supply to Thailand to 5-6m per month. Other doses are to be exported to equally hard-hit countries such as PPines, Indonesia and Malaysia.

Aren't some of those countries in far worse positions than Thailand, rather than being equally hard hit?

[ourdon]

Hold on here, I seem to have missed a few things.

 

Last I heard vaccine manufacture in Thailand had been consolidated.  I hadn't heard any of the local vaccines actually being made and passing the international quality control standards.  J & J ran afoul of that in the USA and had to discard 60 million doses.

 

AFAIK Anutin is telling our few friends that they are getting a smaller percentage of  .....  nothing.  ????

[Cake Monster]

4 hours ago, Soikhaonoiken said:

And so they should, look after the Thai people first.. 

I understand that when production was 1st set up, the agreement was to supply to other Asian Countries, didn't Thailand think they would need a vaccine, and it was all about the money.... 

When the initial deal between AZ and SB was struck, Thailand only ordered 3 Million Doses per Month. 

This was in Sept 2020, and AZ also suggested that Thailand join the Covax Scheme.

In May of 2021 AZ increased the amount of Vaccine that Thailand could receive from the previous order of 3 Million Doses per Month to 35 % of production at the request of the MOPH. This would double roughly the amount that Thailand had previously ordered to between 5 - 6 Million Doses per Month.

And again a suggestion was made by AZ that Thailand join the Covax Scheme , which would have given the more access to the Vaccines.

It is not AZ responsibility to " look after the people ". It is the sole responsibility of the Government, who have simply never ordered enough Vaccines from AZ, or any other Vaccine manufacturer.

AZ are a Pharma Company that are producing Vaccines, and they have taken orders from other Nations in SE Asia.

These are orders they are contractually obliged to fore fill, the same as the orders from Thailand.

If Thailand imposes any kind of Export restriction on the AZ vaccines, they will open a can of Worms for many Years to come, as they will then be a COuntry deems to be unsafe to do Business in, because they are liable to just steal your Product at a whim

 

[hotchilli]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said today that he has instructed Dr. Nakorn Premsri, director of the National Vaccine Institute, to draft a ministerial announcement to set the appropriate proportion of AstraZeneca vaccine for export and for domestic use, which will be submitted to the CCSA for consideration

I think that was already worked out in a contract with AZ... 

[mtls2005]

3 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

I think that was already worked out in a contract with AZ... 

 

A proportion was mentioned/proposed in a letter (~ 65% export, 35 % domestic).

 

Not sure if that's contractually binding, or of the Thai government wants more than 35%?

 

Contract is top secret, but think it probably just covers the 3 mm, or the modified 5 ~ 6 mm, not the 10 mm anutin has been falsely promising for months?

 

He deliberately misled the public, that much is clear. Now he's trying to clean it up, in classic Thai fashion: wield the "Law" as a club.

 

 

Stay tuned.

 

 

[DLock]

I really want to see them try and limit exports.

 

It would be good to see someone get his comeuppance on a world stage.

[digger70]

Thailand wants to limit export of locally-produced AstraZeneca vaccine. 

 

They should to be able to do that If they haven't got a Contract to supply a certain Quota AZ vaccine in return to be able to make the vaccine here in Thailand.

[Mac Mickmanus]

Thailand needs to stick to contracts and agreements . 

[rwill]

34 minutes ago, Mac Mickmanus said:

Thailand needs to stick to contracts and agreements . 

as much as they abide by copyrights?

[DefaultName]

If AZ don't supply the foreign customers who have placed orders and paid for the vaccines, they leave themselves open to being dragged through the international courts. 

 

Yes, I want the vaccine to stay here, but it's wrong to cover up our mistakes by taking from others who were faster to order than we were.  

 

I'm using "our" and "we" because everyone within the borders is in the same boat.

[MikeyIdea]

Contracts like this generally have clauses about internal consumption vs export. AZ has surely signed legally binding contracts with other countries. What does Anutin expect?

 

Thank you AZ for agreeing to increase the Thailand quota to 5 million. If export ban is implemented, just reduce production to 5 million and openly communicate why. 

[Sydebolle]

Standing ovations for the responsible Thai experts by the short-changed expectants of those export shipments are guaranteed! 

[MikeyIdea]

1 hour ago, Mac Mickmanus said:

Thailand needs to stick to contracts and agreements . 

The EU also need to stick to contracts. A best effort is just that, best effort. Thailand is in good company  

[ArcticFox]

8 hours ago, ourmanflint said:

So much for Asean neighbours all working together for the benefit of all. If Thailand stops exports I would expect very strong blowback from the south

So Thailand is going to take vaccines which were contractually allocated to Brunei, Indoesia, Malaysia, Maldives, The Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam - all member of ASEAN I believe - leaving these countries in what some of these countries will consider to be a "Life and Death" dilemma. 

The potential long-term effect?  The end of ASEAN as no ASEAN country can ever again trust Thailand to honor contracts or binding agreements. 
If ASEAN remains, it may exist in the future as ASEAN minus 1.

[ArcticFox]

1 hour ago, DLock said:

I really want to see them try and limit exports.

 

It would be good to see someone get his comeuppance on a world stage.

Actually, so do I.