Government “revamps” vaccination registration after scrapping Mor Prom

After scrapping its Mor Prom app, the government is now rejigging Covid-19 vaccine allocation, amid registration issues and new infection clusters. The much-lauded (by the government) technology was launched on May 1, initially so the elderly and those with 7 underlying conditions could register.

However, the system quickly became overwhelmed with the numbers trying to register, which caused it to crash. Some users criticised it for not having any proper integration with medical records and personal data. According to a Bangkok Post report, others say the app told them they’d already received their first dose, when in fact they’d yet to receive an appointment slot.

Taweesilp Visanuyothin from the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration says vaccine registration will now no longer be done through Mor Prom. Instead, the app will only be used for follow-ups and vaccine certification. It had been hoped the platform would cover everything, from registration, to follow-ups after both the first and second dose, checks on side-effects, and certification.

Vaccine registration is now being devolved to the provinces, where officials will have to come up with their own system. The central provinces of Bangkok and Nonthaburi, along with the southern island of Phuket, already have their own registration system in place. The CCSA spokesman says people will also be able to register at local hospitals and with local healthcare volunteers, who will forward the data to the Mor Prom platform.

He adds that the elderly and people with underlying diseases, who have already registered through Mor Prom, do not need to register again. However, apart from in Bangkok, Nonthaburi, and Phuket, there has been no clarification on how those who fall outside those categories can register.

The Bangkok Post reports that the distribution of vaccines is also being readjusted, so that areas with higher infection rates and groups of at-risk employees will receive extra doses. Government spokesman Anucha Burapachaisri says some provinces have low infection rates but a high number of residents registered for vaccination, while the opposite is the case in some provinces with a high number of cases. Registration through Mor Prom is therefore suspended, to allow the government to allocate vaccines based on the individual needs of each province.

SOURCE: Bangkok Post