Cabinet approves Thailand importing 30 million Pfizer vaccines
The Department of Disease Control will import another 30 million Pfizer vaccines with the Thai Cabinet approving the deal today. This agreement will double the amount mRNA vaccines Thailand has obtained from Pfizer for a total of 60 million doses.
The deal also authorizes the DDC to sign and confirm the third amendment to the Manufacturing and Supply Agreement that Thailand has with Pfizer that will modify the import deal to receive the newest generation of Pfizer vaccine, according to a government spokesperson.
The new generation of vaccines will be prioritised first for children, though a new report states that 90% of schoolchildren between 12 and 18 have now received at least 1 vaccine. The 30 million Pfizer vaccines are expected to be spaced out in shipments in the first, second, and third quarters of 2022.
Meanwhile, Moderna vaccine shipments have been continuing to be received and new deals inked. Zuellig Pharma Thailand announced a new shipment of 1.4 million more Moderna mRNA vaccines, and a long-delayed donation of 1 million Moderna vaccines have finally arrived from the US. The shipment was the second half of a 2.5 million vaccine donation from the US, with 1.5 million arriving in July. The second shipment was delayed with an awkward exchange where the US said they were waiting for Thailand to formally accept the vaccines, and the Thai government said they never received a formal offer of donation so they hadn’t responded.
PM Prayut Chan-o-cha formally received the shipment Monday in a ceremony at Government House in Bangkok attended by Minister of Public Health Anutin Charnvirakul and US Charge d’affaires Michael Heath. The American representative said the second batch of Moderna vaccines reaffirms the friendly relations between the two countries and the aid of the US to Thailand to fight the Covid-19 pandemic. He noted that the US has provided tens of millions of dollars in Covid-19 assistance to Thailand.
SOURCE: Thai PBS World
