Omicron Specific Vaccine Availability

[lowp]

Are there any of the new Omicron variant specific vaccines available in Bangkok? If not, any time table for availability? I checked with MedPark and BNH they said they had no info. Thanks

[Sheryl]

No and no.

 

Not available and as far as I know no plans to procure.

[Sparktrader]

I read Moderna latest vaccine is good but ask dr.

[onthedarkside]

This report below was published in The Nation about a week ago...  If correct (I haven't yet seen other media reports confirming this), it seems to saying the government has reneged on its prior talk of itself buying the newer, 2nd gen COVID mRNA vaccines.

 

What the article doesn't address, though, is whether and to what extent private hospitals in Thailand may decide/be able to purchase the 2nd gen vaccines on their own and, of course, sell them for a price, unlike the government's free vaccination program.

 

Thailand stops procuring Covid-19 vaccine

FRIDAY, November 04, 2022

 

The Royal Gazette on Thursday published a Public Health Ministry announcement cancelling the decree dated October 9, 2020 that had allowed the ministry to procure Covid-19 vaccines to protect the public interest, control the outbreak or maintain national security.

 

The latest announcement, dated October 31, 2022 and signed by Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, said the Covid-19 situation was improving globally according to World Health Organisation data showing the mortality rate is now the lowest since March 2020.

...

Thailand’s stock of Covid-19 vaccine is now sufficient to meet demand and there is no need to procure additional vaccine, it added.

 

(more)

 

https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/policies/40021707

 

[onthedarkside]

But on the general issue of COVID in Thailand, then there was this following report in The Nation a couple days later:

Bangkok Omicron rate rising as people ignore vaccination: lung expert

MONDAY, November 07, 2022

 

A respiratory diseases expert on Monday urged people to keep getting vaccinated, warning that his hospital had seen an alarming rise in Covid-19 Omicron cases.

 

Manoon Leechawengwongs, a pulmonologist at Vichaiyut Hospital, wrote on Facebook that Omicron infections registered at the central Bangkok hospital rose from 778 in September to 986 in October.

...

He said Omicron cases seen in October included healthy young people who had not bothered to get fully vaccinated.

 

(more)

 

https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40021794

 

Just of note, as a result of a Thai MoPH policy change earlier this year, these days, when the government talks of COVID "cases," the only ones they're reporting are those that involve hospitalizations.

 

[onthedarkside]

5 hours ago, onthedarkside said:

This report below was published in The Nation about a week ago...  If correct (I haven't yet seen other media reports confirming this), it seems to saying the government has reneged on its prior talk of itself buying the newer, 2nd gen COVID mRNA vaccines.

 

What the article doesn't address, though, is whether and to what extent private hospitals in Thailand may decide/be able to purchase the 2nd gen vaccines on their own and, of course, sell them for a price, unlike the government's free vaccination program.

 

Thailand stops procuring Covid-19 vaccine

FRIDAY, November 04, 2022

 

The Royal Gazette on Thursday published a Public Health Ministry announcement cancelling the decree dated October 9, 2020 that had allowed the ministry to procure Covid-19 vaccines to protect the public interest, control the outbreak or maintain national security.

 

The latest announcement, dated October 31, 2022 and signed by Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, said the Covid-19 situation was improving globally according to World Health Organisation data showing the mortality rate is now the lowest since March 2020.

...

Thailand’s stock of Covid-19 vaccine is now sufficient to meet demand and there is no need to procure additional vaccine, it added.

 

(more)

 

https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/policies/40021707

 

 

And yet, there's another separate news report today that references the "next round" of COVID vaccine acquisitions by the government, as follows:

 

"Provinces will now need to keep storing unexpired vaccines and antibody treatments aged more than two months, as the next round of vaccine procurement, which is no longer covered under emergency protocols, is expected to go through more lengthy procurement procedures."

 

https://thainews.prd.go.th/en/news/detail/TCATG221110100608755

 

[MrJ2U]

There won't be according to Anutin. 

 

That's according to a report in the Bangkok Post 5 days ago. 

[swm59nj]

So far the new generation vaccine is not available in Thailand.  I spoke to one of my doctors at Bumrungard Hospital a few days ago.  She said maybe next year.  She also mentioned some sort of issue  regarding private hospitals purchasing the vaccine themselves.  I didn’t understand the whole explanation.  But according to her they are waiting for the government to approve and purchase it. 
Of course it’s all speculation at this time.  Nothing definitive. 

[Rimbuman]

20 hours ago, Sheryl said:

No and no.

 

Not available and as far as I know no plans to procure.

Just wait and have it injected once it's available. 

[Sheryl]

1 hour ago, swm59nj said:

So far the new generation vaccine is not available in Thailand.  I spoke to one of my doctors at Bumrungard Hospital a few days ago.  She said maybe next year.  She also mentioned some sort of issue  regarding private hospitals purchasing the vaccine themselves.  I didn’t understand the whole explanation.  But according to her they are waiting for the government to approve and purchase it. 
Of course it’s all speculation at this time.  Nothing definitive. 

In the past government refused to allow private hodputals to import COVID vaccine. They eventually relented but after a year or more of refusal. It is unclear if they will allow them to now import the new generation of vaccines. It is clear government won't import it so only possible avenue to get 8t would be 5he private hospitals. But govt might not allow them to. 

[NoshowJones]

3 hours ago, swm59nj said:

So far the new generation vaccine is not available in Thailand.  I spoke to one of my doctors at Bumrungard Hospital a few days ago.  She said maybe next year.  She also mentioned some sort of issue  regarding private hospitals purchasing the vaccine themselves.  I didn’t understand the whole explanation.  But according to her they are waiting for the government to approve and purchase it. 
Of course it’s all speculation at this time.  Nothing definitive. 

"waiting for the government to approve and purchase it." of course, waiting for it so they can charge ripoff prices for the mugs with plenty of money to spare, then brown envelopes going in a certain direction.

[onthedarkside]

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