Thailand has again raised its supply target for COVID-19 vaccine, from 100 million to 150 million doses, to ensure everyone in the country is able to have access to the vaccine, while making sure there is still enough for booster shots addressing certain variants.
The Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha has revealed on his Facebook post the government’s new plan for the country’s inoculation program, with the vaccine supply target now raised to 150 million doses, to cover the entire 60 million adult population in Thailand with shots to spare.
This new vaccine target will ensure everyone in the country has access to the jabs, beyond the number of people required to achieve herd immunity.
On his post, the Prime Minister said there are now uncertainties as to how long the immunity created by mass vaccinations would last; whether a booster shot will be needed; whether heard immunity can actually be achieved, as well as concerns about delays in vaccine delivery from manufacturers, all of which poses the need for extra vaccine procurement.
Thailand initially ordered around 63 million doses of vaccine to vaccinate some 31.5 people by the end of this year. The plan has since been changed to 100 million doses to cover 50 million people by the end of this year, a newly adjusted target to achieve herd immunity.
Thailand’s inoculation program is to rely heavily on a limited supply of Sinovac vaccine from China, while the vaccination drive for the general public will start in June with a mass supply of AstraZeneca vaccine, manufactured locally by Siam Bioscience.
The Prime Minister said he has urged all related agencies to accelerate vaccine deals and negotiations. Currently, the Thai government is in talks with seven manufacturers, including Pfizer which can tentatively supply 10-20 million doses to Thailand in Q3-4 this year. The government is also planning to negotiate vaccine deals with more manufacturers as well.
The government has also encouraged private hospitals to purchase vaccines from Moderna via the Government Pharmaceutical Organization, however these jabs will be provided by private hospitals at a charge, to complement the government’s inoculation program.
The government has now adjusted its guidelines for the vaccination drive by focusing on providing the first shot of vaccines to as many people as possible. The prevailing sentiment in the medical community is that a single shot of vaccine can immediately help reduce the transmission and the severity of the disease.
With this new approach, the government is now optimistic half the adult population in Thailand will get their first jabs by late-July. (NNT)
