Thailand’s vaccine director apologises for ‘slow, inadequate’ vaccine rollout, promises to join COVAX

[itsari]

2 hours ago, Bkk Brian said:

That's an example of another poor decision though right? Astra Zeneca even advised Thailand to join Covax

That goes without saying . 

[greenmonkey]

I just want someone to ask one direct question and to hear a direct answer to this "Why did you not join the COVAX scheme in the first place"? The Thai public needs to know the answer to this... we all need to know... what possible reason could they have formulated for refusing free vaccines when all the neighbouring countries around them were joining and when Thailand's procurement scheme was so flawed. For me, above everything - this needs to be answered.

[AJR3RD]

1 minute ago, greenmonkey said:

I just want someone to ask one direct question and to hear a direct answer to this "Why did you not join the COVAX scheme in the first place"? The Thai public needs to know the answer to this... we all need to know... what possible reason could they have formulated for refusing free vaccines when all the neighbouring countries around them were joining and when Thailand's procurement scheme was so flawed. For me, above everything - this needs to be answered.

There won't be any answers forthcoming, I fear. No national independent commission to study this debacle and try to prevent it from happening again (and you can bet your life, it will happen again.)  Only a few know, and they won't be talking. My guess? They hatched a deal with China on a vaccine that was hardly better than placebo, and figured they could produce whatever else they needed in their own production facility. You want the truth? Follow the money. But that's even more dangerous than the virus.

[Dogmatix]

Utterly pathetic and contemptible!

[Jimbo2014]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

“I apologise to the people that the National Vaccine Institute has not managed to procure a sufficient amount of vaccines for the unforeseen situation

Which "unforeseen" situation is he talking about.  A blind man in a dark bunker a mile below ground could see this coming 6 months ago.  

[metisdead]

Posts using trolling images have been edited or removed. 

[Dogmatix]

So this guy, who looks like a limp wrag, but actually had no authority to decide anything has been ordered to be the fall guy but doesn't even have to resign.

 

All kinds of blame game type nonsensical excuses are put forward and to add insult to injury, after placing the Pfizer order a full three months after cabinet approval, he announced that they are thinking about thinking about applying to join COVAX. 

 

It is far too late to join COVAX.  The initial phase where middle income countries were allowed to pay for vaccines with similar allocations to poor countries that get them free, is now passed.  The middle income countries orders have already been largely supplied and they are now deemed to have had adequate time to procure even mRNA vaccines which many, including South Africa, have already done.  COVAX is now putting all its efforts into suppying impoverished countries, mainly in Africa, which have no ability to buy vaccines at all.  Of course they already know that and this is just damage limitation after the leak of the AZ letter that drew attention to Thailand's refusal to join COVAX.

Edited July 22, 2021 by Dogmatix

[itsari]

13 minutes ago, greenmonkey said:

I just want someone to ask one direct question and to hear a direct answer to this "Why did you not join the COVAX scheme in the first place"? The Thai public needs to know the answer to this... we all need to know... what possible reason could they have formulated for refusing free vaccines when all the neighbouring countries around them were joining and when Thailand's procurement scheme was so flawed. For me, above everything - this needs to be answered.

Your answer lies in the ownership of the company making the Astra Zenica vaccine in Thailand 

[BobinBKK]

His apology is about as useless as those illegally in charge. I absolutely refuse to accept anyone's "apology" and "sorry for the inconvenience" BS, period!!!

[jerrymahoney]

17 minutes ago, AJR3RD said:

You're seriously asking that question? First, in democracies, young men and women have sacrificed their lives for the right of citizens to criticize the government. It is a right that not all people have, and many are willing to die for. Asking that question is like asking, "So, vote all you want, what does that change?" It can change EVERYTHING. Sometimes one voice can make the difference, sometimes it takes millions. But the idea of not speaking out against government malfeasance and incompetence? If you go that route, seems to me you might as well just throw in the towel and go live in N. Korea. 

I never said don't speak out. But this is Thailand. Maybe this guy will stay on and maybe he will lose his job tomorrow. If he does get fired, maybe some on here can taker some credit for it.. But maybe what gets said on here will have nothing to do with it. But for now, he is on the job and I would wish him Godspeed.

[ABCbangkok]

3 minutes ago, Deerculler said:

I hope everyone feels better after all the blowing.

Because it will not make one bit of difference what you think.

 Come to grips with the situation and get on  with life.

Actually feeling better is a worthy end. Expressing one’s views does make a difference to the person doing the expressing.

 

And ‘coming to grips with the situation’ is about speaking out and being heard even if it’s just frustration and anger. Shows that we are not alone.
 

If you read some of the Thai opinion pieces out there in the Thai English press you’d find that they are making similar complaints and comments to the ones being aired here.

 

Getting on with life when life is mired in COVID includes talking about it. Not quite the storming of the bastille but who knows maybe young and old Thais are listening to what the farang and int’l community are saying and considering it’s supportive of efforts to change things.

 

Quiet resignation seems a lame strategy given the needless s*** we are all in at the moment. How can one not have something to say with 13,655 infections today from just 100-300 only four months ago! 

 

 

[pokerface1]

Will The real culprit please step forward......Don't Be Shy

 

[Bkk Brian]

30 minutes ago, jerrymahoney said:

So criticize the government all you want for their incompetence. What does that change?

Criticism helps effect change, over 200,000 medical and health workers signed a petition criticizing the government for not ordering more mrna vaccines. Leading business associations have done the same, hospitals, nurses have all joined in the criticism.

 

Without criticism a government will plough along regardless and repeat its past behaviour.

 

[smedly]

37 minutes ago, watthong said:

against delta, are ALL effective (in the high 90 %) in preventing death and hospitalization. Whether it is AZ or Sinovac

show me a properly published study that supports your personal opinion

 

 

PS - you are excused 

Edited July 22, 2021 by smedly

[jerrymahoney]

2 minutes ago, Bkk Brian said:

Criticism helps effect change, over 200,000 medical and health workers signed a petition criticizing the government for not ordering more mrna vaccines. Leading business associations have done the same, hospitals, nurses have all joined in the criticism.

 

Without criticism a government will plough along regardless and repeat its past behaviour.

 

Did you sign either of those two petitions?

[ArcticFox]

10 months after AstraZenaca suggested to the Thai government to join COVAX.
Notice that the Covid Czar put someone else's head on the chopping block.
Since yesterday's speech where it was implied that all average Thais are nasty, rule-breaking Covid spreaders, Uncle Tu has probably anointed himself with scented oils and has gone back to seclusion in his heavenly realms. 

[Phoenix Rising]

44 minutes ago, jerrymahoney said:

Thank you. However for some, this IS their life.

While yours is trolling. Thank you, we get that.

[Bkk Brian]

1 minute ago, jerrymahoney said:

Did you sign either of those two petitions?

Anyone could enter, its on change.org and yes I did how about you, I doubt it?

[Dogmatix]

9 minutes ago, BobinBKK said:

His apology is about as useless as those illegally in charge. I absolutely refuse to accept anyone's "apology" and "sorry for the inconvenience" BS, period!!!

After the 120 day reopening this guy can be forced to apologise to tourists for the inconvenience of tripping over bodies in the street on their way to the Grand Palace and Wat Po. 

[HarrySeaman]

Thailand’s National Vaccine Institute (NVI) Director Nakorn Premsri said, "The mutations (of the virus) were something that could not be predicted".

 

That is a multi ton amount of bull pucky!

 

Viruses are always mutating.  For instance, any doctor knows that the reason you can get head colds or influenza multiple times a year is that the virus is constantly mutating so you are being infected a different mutations.

[Dogmatix]

35 minutes ago, watthong said:

Excuse me, jus one SMALL correction: 1st generation vaccines, regardless of their efficacy or lack thereof against delta, are ALL effective (in the high 90 %) in preventing death and hospitalization. Whether it is AZ or Sinovac, after you've got that, if delta or whatever other variants gets you (under the surface it's still good old Sars-cov2 virus) what you will have is a "mild flu" (instead of "wuflu.") You can recuperate in the comfort of your home, instead of having a tube shoved down your chest and lying in a bed (if you are lucky) in the ICU.

 

 

I think we need to look carefully into the data from India where they have used a lot of AZ but no Sinovac. People have said that many vaccinated medics died from COVID in India but I haven't seen any numbers yet.

[jerrymahoney]

8 minutes ago, Bkk Brian said:

Anyone could enter, its on change.org and yes I did how about you, I doubt it?

No -- I'm not a member of either those two Thai associations. But I guess you want to compare the efforts of two Thai associations to what gets posted on this website.

Edited July 22, 2021 by jerrymahoney

[BobinBKK]

3 minutes ago, Dogmatix said:

After the 120 day reopening this guy can be forced to apologise to tourists for the inconvenience of tripping over bodies in the street on their way to the Grand Palace and Wat Po. 

Apology in the form of "free entry" to all "tourist attractions" for "foreigners" 555 

[Dogmatix]

7 hours ago, wasabi said:

He deflected blame but otherwise a surprisingly frank acknowledgement. However they are about a year short and the price to pay in money and lives will be high.

Genocide comes to mind when looking at what is happening in Burma. Thailand following a few paces behind its junta brothers. 

[Bkk Brian]

2 minutes ago, jerrymahoney said:

No -- I'm not a member of either those two Thai associations. But I guess you want to compare the efforts of two Thai associations to what gets posted on this website.

Thats not what you asked me though is it, you asked me if I had signed and I replied saying yes anyone could, including you. 

[Bobydog]

6 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

I'm sure the relatives of the dead, soon to be homeless and jobless will accept his apology during there incarceration 

Better still consider apologizing to the dead in person and take some associates with you, much better than more words.

[Thai Visa Member 999999]

"...The mutations (of the virus) were something that could not be predicted, which have caused a more rapid spread than last year."

 

And this guy's a doctor? I know he doesn't want to publicly accept blame but to essentially claim that you don't know anything about virology and lack the predictive powers of a first-year undergraduate biology major is pathetic. 

[Dogmatix]

He failed to mention why Thailand rejected the kind offer of 2m doses of AZ at cost from India in December which could have been given to medics. That has never been explained by the governmnet.  Even the UK, which has the HQ of AZ and a factory in Wrexham, was not too proud to take 4.4m AZ doses from India.

Edited July 22, 2021 by Dogmatix

[Bobydog]

12 minutes ago, HarrySeaman said:

Thailand’s National Vaccine Institute (NVI) Director Nakorn Premsri said, "The mutations (of the virus) were something that could not be predicted".

 

That is a multi ton amount of bull pucky!

 

Viruses are always mutating.  For instance, any doctor knows that the reason you can get head colds or influenza multiple times a year is that the virus is constantly mutating so you are being infected a different mutations.

At the beginning of 2021, one of their medical experts was announcing that these "Variants"  could not hurt people in SE Asia, I replied at that time and said that no one else in the world was ignoring them and he was an idiot.

[kennw]

7 hours ago, wasabi said:

He deflected blame but otherwise a surprisingly frank acknowledgement. However they are about a year short and the price to pay in money and lives will be high.

I suggest he has been instructed about what to say. Any medical person worth their salt know that viruses mutate. But even this does not explain the supply shortages. 69 MM people in Thailand, 61 mm doses of AZ ordered, 2 shots/person = about 30 MM people.