PM Prayut Chan-o-cha says sorry again for delays in the Covid-19 vaccine rollout

PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has again apologised for holdups in the rollout of Covid-19 vaccines, saying there were a number of reasons for the delays. Earlier this week, 25 vaccination sites in Bangkok postponed inoculations. Several hospitals also delayed vaccinations over the weekend due to a limited supply.

“As the prime minister and director of CCSA, I am the top executive in this war against Covid. I must apologise for the problems that happened and I take all the responsibility.”

The prime minister had also apologised last week for holdups in the national vaccine rollout. He says doses have been delivered gradually in small lots. With a limited supply of vaccines on hand, inoculation sites with high demand ran low and had to postpone injections. Prayut says the production process and quality checks for vaccines are time-consuming and can cause delays for deliveries, adding that other countries have similar issues.

Priority has also been given to areas with active Covid-19 outbreaks and to those who are at high risk of infection, which has led to postponements for vaccine appointments for some who had registered but are not in a priority group.

While the CCSA announced that there is a shortage of vaccines with no deliveries this week, officials say they are still on track to meet this month’s target of 6 million doses. The Thai government plans to inoculate 50 million people by the end of the year, reaching herd immunity. Prayut says the government plans to acquire more vaccines to cover 80% to 90% of the population in 2022.

SOURCE: Bangkok Post