Government Eyes to Purchase Additional 5 Million Doses of Sinovac Vaccine

[webfact]

Government Eyes to Purchase Additional 5 Million Doses of Sinovac Vaccine
Paphamon Arayasukawat

BANGKOK (NNT) - The government is negotiating with Sinovac to purchase an additional 5 million doses of vaccine, as authorities are accelerating delivery of vaccine to the people.

However, Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul insisted that AstraZeneca would be the main vaccine and would be ready for mass inoculation from May.

He also urged people to avoid panic and remain cautious while inspecting a proactive testing operation in Wang Thong village in Bangkok’s Nong Khaem district, after it was found that people in the village had visited Bang Khae Market, a Covid-19 hotspot in the capital with a sudden surge in Covid-19 cases.

The minister told people to stop worrying about the infection, and that Sunday’s screening was already in line with the proactive patient search mechanism of the public health system for disease control. If an infected person is found, they will be taken into the system for further treatment.

 

-- © Copyright NNT 2021-03-15

 

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[YetAnother]

6 minutes ago, webfact said:

Government Eyes to Purchase Additional 5 Million Doses of Sinovac Vaccine

right inline with this governments overall performance, they order more of the one vaccine we least prefer

[Shuya]

11 minutes ago, webfact said:

The minister told people to stop worrying about the infection

It's a bit late now for that after all the scaremongering the last 12 moths

[donnacha]

My strong hunch is that, once it becomes clear that international travel will only be practical for the vaccinated, most people worldwide will take whatever vaccine they can get, purely for the vaccine passport.

If China or Russia can manage to produce their vaccines in higher quantities than the Western vaccines, and if they are happy to sell them internationally, and if most governments eventually get around to authorizing them for private use, they will become the quick n' easy solution for anyone who wants to get on with life and accepts that many things we do entail a certain amount of risk.

 

[PatOngo]

32 minutes ago, Shuya said:

It's a bit late now for that after all the scaremongering the last 12 moths

Those 12 moths are pretty scary!

[internationalism]

the last time they have payed 650b per shot, as it's an emergency purchase. Now they should try to make a better deal.

But if they are planing more sinovac, why only 33.5k were already injected? That's contradiction. Possible there is a friction between the government and the ministry of health.

those 200k imported should be given all within days, because more is coming this month and more in april

Edited March 15, 2021 by internationalism

[John Drake]

1 hour ago, donnacha said:

My strong hunch is that, once it becomes clear that international travel will only be practical for the vaccinated, most people worldwide will take whatever vaccine they can get, purely for the vaccine passport.

If China or Russia can manage to produce their vaccines in higher quantities than the Western vaccines, and if they are happy to sell them internationally, and if most governments eventually get around to authorizing them for private use, they will become the quick n' easy solution for anyone who wants to get on with life and accepts that many things we do entail a certain amount of risk.

 

The Chinese and Russian vaccines, especially the Chinese ones, are not going to be approved for use in the West. And if they're not approved, I doubt they will be able to be used as a vaccine passport into Western countries.

[internationalism]

34 minutes ago, John Drake said:

The Chinese and Russian vaccines, especially the Chinese ones, are not going to be approved for use in the West. And if they're not approved, I doubt they will be able to be used as a vaccine passport into Western countries.

lufthansa are planning flights to moscow for covid jabs. It doesn't look like vax passport will be related only to vaxes approved in the west. 

China, india, russia and other countries, which will have their own vax might retaliate and require from travellers only those locally made ones.

Unless vax is withdrawn from further use, there is no ground now to judge, which vax is not working. All vax are only an emergency use, phase 3 testing 

[donnacha]

48 minutes ago, John Drake said:

The Chinese and Russian vaccines, especially the Chinese ones, are not going to be approved for use in the West.

I'm very surprised to hear that there has already been a concrete decision. My understanding, from the news last Wednesday, was that several EU countries wanted to use Sputnik and that Italy is preparing to manufacture it this summer. Of course, things are moving quickly and you may have some more up-to-date information.
 

48 minutes ago, John Drake said:

And if they're not approved, I doubt they will be able to be used as a vaccine passport into Western countries.

There is no possibility that any internationally accepted vaccine passport can leave out the vaccines of two massive countries. There is no way China or Russia would sign off on that.

The world will coalesce around one standard, nothing else would make sense. A tit for tat battle would paralyse international travel for decades to come.

Here is the article I mentioned from last Wednesday. If I have missed some more recent news that contradicts this, I am sure many members here would appreciate it if you could provide a link.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/mar/10/russias-sputnik-v-covid-vaccine-gaining-acceptance-in-europe
 

Quote

The EU is reportedly also planning to include Sputnik V and Chinese jabs in the vaccine passport that would ease travel restrictions for those who have been immunised against the virus, plans of which are to be unveiled next week.

The “EU Covid card” is expected to comprise of three digital and paper documents showing whether the holder has been injected with not just the EMA-approved vaccines but also Russian and Chinese ones, according to a report by Bloomberg.

 

Edited March 15, 2021 by donnacha

[John Drake]

11 minutes ago, donnacha said:

I'm very surprised to hear that there has already been a concrete decision. My understanding, from the news last Wednesday, was that several EU countries wanted to use Sputnik and that Italy is preparing to manufacture it this summer. Of course, things are moving quickly and you may have some more up-to-date information.
 

There is no possibility that any internationally accepted vaccine passport can leave out the vaccines of two massive countries. There is no way China or Russia would sign off on that.

The world will coalesce around one standard, nothing else would make sense. A tit for tat battle would paralyse international travel for decades to come.

Here is the article I mentioned from last Wednesday. If I have missed some more recent news that contradicts this, I am sure many members here would appreciate it if you could provide a link.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/mar/10/russias-sputnik-v-covid-vaccine-gaining-acceptance-in-europe
 

 

Is it the EU or those specific nations? If the latter, will they be able to go around EU non approval? 

[donnacha]

7 minutes ago, John Drake said:

Is it the EU or those specific nations? If the latter, will they be able to go around EU non approval? 

As the article quotes from an EU official, they are minded to approve the Sputnik vaccine.

And, yes, if for some reason the EU does not want to give approval, their authority to stop countries making their own arrangements has collapsed due to their bewildering three months delay in ordering any vaccines. I believe a couple of countries have already used Sputnik.

[John Drake]

6 minutes ago, donnacha said:

As the article quotes from an EU official, they are minded to approve the Sputnik vaccine.

And, yes, if for some reason the EU does not want to give approval, their authority to stop countries making their own arrangements has collapsed due to their bewildering three months delay in ordering any vaccines. I believe a couple of countries have already used Sputnik.

I can hardly see approval coming for any vaccine that has not published its trial data and made the results available to the appropriate authorities. I know the Chinese have not done this? Have the Russians?

[donnacha]

2 minutes ago, John Drake said:

I can hardly see approval coming for any vaccine that has not published its trial data and made the results available to the appropriate authorities. I know the Chinese have not done this? Have the Russians?

I presume all manufacturers everywhere have the same motivation to eventually tick whatever boxes need to be ticked.

Again, it is a huge market, most people will just want the documentation that allows them to travel again.

[Cake Monster]

3 hours ago, YetAnother said:

right inline with this governments overall performance, they order more of the one vaccine we least prefer

I really think the Country is running out of options on Vaccine procurement.

All the decent Vaccines will already have been ordered, booked, and paid for by forward thinking Nations.

Anutin seems to be pinning everything on the AZ " rollout " from its new facility here in Thailand come June. But at the present rate of inoculation, the 10 Million per month talked about just aint gonna happen.

[Bkk Brian]

46 minutes ago, Cake Monster said:

IAnutin seems to be pinning everything on the AZ " rollout " from its new facility here in Thailand come June. But at the present rate of inoculation, the 10 Million per month talked about just aint gonna happen.

With the desperately slow rate of giving out the shots even when they have them I reckon the next announcement will be,

"Warehouses to be built to stockpile covid vaccines" 

 

[PatOngo]

1 hour ago, Cake Monster said:

Anutin seems to be pinning everything on the AZ " rollout " from its new facility here in Thailand come June. But at the present rate of inoculation, the 10 Million per month talked about just aint gonna happen.

Would be interesting to know who is the major local shareholder in the operation! ????

 

 

Edited March 15, 2021 by PatOngo

[Srikcir]

2 hours ago, internationalism said:

China, india, russia and other countries, which will have their own vax might retaliate and require from travellers only those locally made ones. 

India is making a local covid vaccine called Covaxin 81% efficacy and AstraZeneca under the name Covishield under license. Covaxin is similar to Sinovac made of killed coronavirus. The AZ is being produced at more than 50 million doses per month.

Why can't Thailand buy AZ from India if international supply is limited?

Not to mention that in Thailand as of last November AZ was going to be produced locally by a Thai company Siam Bioscience. But Thailand seems to curry some political aspect with more supply of Sinovac?

 

[John Drake]

16 minutes ago, Srikcir said:

But Thailand seems to curry some political aspect with more supply of Sinovac?

No, you can only curry with India.

[hotchilli]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

The minister told people to stop worrying about the infection, and that Sunday’s screening was already in line with the proactive patient search mechanism of the public health system for disease control.

I'm sure they have all the records and details of everyone entering the markets..... NOT.

[DLock]

2 hours ago, Bkk Brian said:

With the desperately slow rate of giving out the shots even when they have them I reckon the next announcement will be,

"Warehouses to be built to stockpile covid vaccines" 

 

 

Just after "Committee to be formed to determine best place for warehouse store for vaccine".

[gamini]

8 hours ago, YetAnother said:

right inline with this governments overall performance, they order more of the one vaccine we least prefer

But  so very much better than most other countries. only 89 deaths!!

[herfiehandbag]

4 hours ago, PatOngo said:

Would be interesting to know who is the major local shareholder in the operation! ????

 

 

Come now, that is well known - concrete information...