Moderna Insists to Directly Sell Covid-19 Vaccine to Thai Government

[webfact]

 

By Woraprat Lerpaisal

   

BANGKOK (NNT) - Representatives of Zuellig Pharma Ltd, the importer of Moderna vaccine in Thailand, insist that the manufacturer of Moderna vaccine is willing to sell its COVID-19 vaccine to the Thai government, but not directly to private companies.

 

Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said the ministry will register the Moderna vaccine as soon as possible, provided that the manufacturer submits all required documents and receives Thai Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval.

 

He said the government does not obstruct the importation of COVID-19 vaccine by private parties, but Moderna and most other manufacturers insist that they will only sell to governments or government entities.

 

Three vaccine brands are currently registered for emergency use in Thailand, namely AstraZeneca, Sinovac and Johnson & Johnson, while the Pfizer, Moderna and Sputnik V brands are awaiting registration.

 

-- © Copyright NNT 2021-05-04

 

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[smedly]

11 minutes ago, webfact said:

He said the government does not obstruct the importation of COVID-19 vaccine by private parties

 

I wish you would make up your mind because last week you barred and as far as I am aware still bar the private sector from purchasing their own vaccines 

 

which is it ???????

 

 

idiot

[holy cow cm]

This guy is starting to talk like porky pig.

[Deli]

Government's envelopes might be better stuffed.

[ericdiam]

Thousand % sure this is pure manipulated lie from extreme corrupt government. Last few weeks they try to find a way how to let pass all orders from private hospitals true them without blaming them. The easy way. Blame the companies itself. Now brown envelopes can even be thicker. And yeah delivery much much slower. But that these monkeys zero care about. First the money. Then maybe saving Thai lives 

[grantbkk]

Hospitals should be able to but it. These are lifesaving drugs and the government has bungled vaccination at every turn. I fear corruption and personal gain is behind this debacle.  in a few months we should be able to order real vaccine online.

[Mr Meeseeks]

Junta phonics for the plebs.

[brucegoniners]

Gee, I wonder who told them to say that.

 

I know for a fact that a private hospital in Bangkok had a deal in January to buy Moderna directly. My wife and I were on a waiting list. But the Thai government kept delaying things and now is insisting they control all vaccine distribution.

 

Control is the operative word.

[robblok]

I don't trust the government much but this can be true if the producers are saying so. It makes sense to sell to just governments as the shipments are larger then. So instead of negotiating with small parties they just sell to a government. 

 

If it had just come from the Thai government id have my doubts but with them saying it too and just some logic business thinking it makes sense.

[ikke1959]

So what is the problem?? They can change a cabinet in 1 day but forms and approval of lifesaving drugs has to take weeks? months??? Get rid of these incompetent men asap. THey have a emergency decree to make quick decisions .. so show that that works now

Edited May 4, 2021 by ikke1959

[up-country_sinclair]

What's the issue?

1. Moderna sells it to the government

2. The government sells it to private hospitals.

3. The hospitals sell it to people who want to pay for it.

Done.

Edited May 4, 2021 by up-country_sinclair

[ukrules]

If the government wants to do a good job they will purchase all the vaccines and then distribute them to the private hospitals that require them.

 

Doing so will likely remove a lot of pressure from public services, if they plan it right then this is exactly what they will do.

 

There is no choice here, they need to supply the private hospitals or it will backfire in a spectacular manner.

 

 

[DLock]

11 minutes ago, up-country_sinclair said:

What's the issue?

1. Moderna sells it to the government

2. The government sells it to private hospitals.

3. The hospitals sell it to people who want to pay for it.

Done.

 

You are right, the hospitals will still make money and the customer will end up paying anyway...but people don't like the Government making money...

 

1. Moderna sells it to the government for $5.

2. The government sells it to private hospitals for $20.

3. The hospitals sell it to people who want to pay for it for $60

 

If it helps get larger volumes here faster, I could care less it costs a few shackles more...just stop talking, get it here and get it distributed...

[BobBKK]

Why?  $$$$$$

[ukrules]

24 minutes ago, DLock said:

1. Moderna sells it to the government for $5.

2. The government sells it to private hospitals for $20.

 

Pure speculation, this is not about making tiny amounts of money on the grand scale of things - it's about getting as many vaccines out as quickly as possible so they can stop losing money as a country overall.

 

The government will buy as many vaccines as it can, assuming they receive an adequate supply then they will distribute the vaccines far and wide for a mass roll out.

 

Thailand has a huge network of private hospitals, excluding them from this vaccination process is nonsense and I can't believe that it will happen. If it does then there's something very wrong with the process.

[DLock]

3 minutes ago, ukrules said:

 

Pure speculation, this is not about making tiny amounts of money on the grand scale of things - it's about getting as many vaccines out as quickly as possible so they can stop losing money as a country overall.

 

The government will buy as many vaccines as it can, assuming they receive an adequate supply then they will distribute the vaccines far and wide for a mass roll out.

 

Thailand has a huge network of private hospitals, excluding them from this vaccination process is nonsense and I can't believe that it will happen. If it does then there's something very wrong with the process.

 

Pure speculation.

[robblok]

4 minutes ago, ukrules said:

 

Pure speculation, this is not about making tiny amounts of money on the grand scale of things - it's about getting as many vaccines out as quickly as possible so they can stop losing money as a country overall.

 

The government will buy as many vaccines as it can, assuming they receive an adequate supply then they will distribute the vaccines far and wide for a mass roll out.

 

Thailand has a huge network of private hospitals, excluding them from this vaccination process is nonsense and I can't believe that it will happen. If it does then there's something very wrong with the process.

Besides if the government makes some money (not the ministers themselves) who would care. I certainly would not. What you said makes a lot sense. Let the government buy it and distribute it to private hospitals.

[Gold Star]

 

 

If someone is willing to pay extra right now for a Thai approved jab of their choice at a private hospital, and the dose they receive is in addition to those already planned, it does not take away one meant for any another person.  It actually frees up an extra jab for the public.

 

It is a win-win for everyone involved.  The patient gets their jab, the hospital makes some money, and the country gets vaccinated sooner.

 

The demand is there, and the hospitals are ready and waiting, if they could just get out of their way and let them get on with it. 

 

Sourcing through the government adds another roadblock with more delay. They must remove all obstacles impeding this glacial paced vaccination rollout.

[DLock]

6 minutes ago, robblok said:

Besides if the government makes some money (not the ministers themselves) who would care. I certainly would not. What you said makes a lot sense. Let the government buy it and distribute it to private hospitals.

 

The expense to the Government on COVID has been extreme and the cost of shipping, storing, distributing will be additional expense after the vaccines get here. I also have no issues with the Government making a few dollars either. If it gets more vaccine options into Thailand and to the hospitals faster, then its a positive thing.

 

BTW, I made the numbers up as an example.

[robblok]

2 minutes ago, DLock said:

 

The expense to the Government on COVID has been extreme and the cost of shipping, storing, distributing will be additional expense after the vaccines get here. I also have no issues with the Government making a few dollars either. If it gets more vaccine options into Thailand and to the hospitals faster, then its a positive thing.

 

BTW, I made the numbers up as an example.

Yes its all about speed and of course you made the numbers up, there is no way you could have known the real numbers as no deals have been signed. 

 

I just hope private hospitals get the vaccine fast I am willing to pay for it. 

[polpott]

1 hour ago, brucegoniners said:

Gee, I wonder who told them to say that.

 

I know for a fact that a private hospital in Bangkok had a deal in January to buy Moderna directly. My wife and I were on a waiting list. But the Thai government kept delaying things and now is insisting they control all vaccine distribution.

 

Control is the operative word.

Its the vaccine makers that are insisting on no private sales, Read the OP. I don't know of any country that allows vaccine sales that bypass the government, certainly not the UK.

 

As for those dreaming of buying it online, good luck with that, I can't imagine the Thai postal service guaranteeing to keep it at -20C.

[polpott]

58 minutes ago, DLock said:

 

You are right, the hospitals will still make money and the customer will end up paying anyway...but people don't like the Government making money...

 

1. Moderna sells it to the government for $5.

2. The government sells it to private hospitals for $20.

3. The hospitals sell it to people who want to pay for it for $60

 

If it helps get larger volumes here faster, I could care less it costs a few shackles more...just stop talking, get it here and get it distributed...

https://www.bmj.com/content/372/bmj.n281

 

Moderna sells at $15 per shot to the US government, more to other countries.

[ukrules]

5 minutes ago, polpott said:

Its the vaccine makers that are insisting on no private sales, Read the OP. I don't know of any country that allows vaccine sales that bypass the government, certainly not the UK.

 

As for those dreaming of buying it online, good luck with that, I can't imagine the Thai postal service guaranteeing to keep it at -20C.

 

There's plenty of vaccines that need nothing more than regular fridge temperatures and more will be coming before the end of the year.

 

There's plenty of time for this process.

 

 

[polpott]

1 minute ago, ukrules said:

 

There's plenty of vaccines that need nothing more than regular fridge temperatures and more will be coming before the end of the year.

 

There's plenty of time for this process.

 

 

Not Moderna, which is the subject of this thread.

[sammieuk1]

Every vaccine producer must have the Thai gov on a price gouging radar especially AZ at a not for profit £1.50 a go and is the probable real delay reason ???? 

[Cake Monster]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

He said the government does not obstruct the importation of COVID-19 vaccine by private parties, but Moderna and most other manufacturers insist that they will only sell to governments or government entities.

The Vaccine producers only selling to Governments is an effort on their part to see the Vaccines are distributed and used without price gouging, Corruption and other various ways for Private Individuals and Companies to obtain the Vaccines that are produced, and sold onn a cost only basis, and hiking up the prices,

Will this happen in reality- who knows. 

Edited May 4, 2021 by Cake Monster

[alant]

yes you can...

No you can't...

yes you can...

no you can't...

 

Don't blame me I only run the place...

[Fex Bluse]

Whenever I see headlines like this, I always hope to see the publishing of a statement from the 1st party. However, I'd say about 99% of the time, looking into the article, it looks like this

 

Foreign Company Says a Bad Thing for Thailand

Bangkok - Thai Authorities say a foreign company said a bad thing for Thailand.

 

Subsequent searching for the statement almost never yields the info (in the same context) as the Thai utterance. Weird. And dumb.

[WaveHunter]

Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said the ministry will register the Moderna vaccine as soon as possible, provided that the manufacturer submits all required documents and receives Thai Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval.

 

He said the government does not obstruct the importation of COVID-19 vaccine by private parties, but Moderna and most other manufacturers insist that they will only sell to governments or government entities.

 

Three vaccine brands are currently registered for emergency use in Thailand, namely AstraZeneca, Sinovac and Johnson & Johnson, while the Pfizer, Moderna and Sputnik V brands are awaiting registration.

===========

This is masterful political rhetoric aimed at deflecting blame for the botched rollout to the Pharma companies instead of where it rightly belongs. 

 

Who cares whether the Pharma companies are unwilling to sell directly to private hospitals (probably not actually true).  That's not even the real the issue.

 

The issue is why is registration by the Thai FDA of the Pfizer, Moderna and Sputnik V brands still in limbo, when many other countries around the world have already approved them.  Why should Thailand's standards be any different than all of those other countries?

 

And why have officials gone back and forth and back again on whether or not private hospitals can or can not procure and dispense the vaccines?  Who cares whether Pharma companies will only sell to the government? 

 

The REAL question is whether or not the government is willing to procure ALL of those vaccine brands on behalf of the private hospitals so that more people can be vaccinated and have more options for vaccine brands.

 

So far none of the officials involved seem to offer a clear and concise answer that doesn't change from one day to the next.  It sounds more like vested interest are at play here that have nothing to do with safety or efficacy, or ending the pandemic herre in Thailand. 

 

Something is definitely not right with this picture IMHO!

Edited May 4, 2021 by WaveHunter

[fondue zoo]

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/healthcare/biotech/healthcare/private-cos-free-to-buy-vaccines-at-mkt-price-for-staff/articleshow/82189479.cms?from=mdr

 

It can be inferred that Moderna don't have the same rule for India.