Banglamung Subdistrict outside Pattaya has set aside 10 million baht to directly purchase Covid-19 vaccines from overseas for the most vulnerable of its 12,000 residents.
Deputy Mayor Narathip Fukreuk said Jan. 26 that the small municipality at the northern tip of Banglamung District wants to supplement any vaccines distributed by the central government.
While the government allows local governments and private hospitals to buy vaccines directly, they cannot be used unless approved by the Food and Drug Administration. To date, the FDA has approved only one: a vaccine produced by the U.K.’s AstraZeneca PLC.
Narathip said the vaccines would be used to inoculate medical personnel, those with chronic diseases, residents age 60 or older, and government workers combatting the Covid-19 pandemic.
