Thailand’s vaccine rollout is trailing its target as a jab shortage and moves to prioritize workers to shield the economy trigger chaos and mass cancelation of appointments.
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration and dozens of hospitals across the nation have postponed some of the scheduled vaccinations for this week, citing limited vaccine supplies. The delay comes after the nation was able to meet only 56 percent of its inoculation target in the first week of the nationwide rollout.
The Thai Ministry of Public Health attributed the shortage to “an overwhelming demand for vaccines” and said it has allocated the shots based on infection risks while prioritizing senior citizens, individuals with underlying conditions and workers in Bangkok.
Photo: EPA-EFE
Officials yesterday reaffirmed that 6 million shots would be administered this month as planned.
Authorities from Taiwan to the Philippines are facing vaccine shortages with reports of supply constraints at AstraZeneca’s local manufacturing partner in Thailand even as the outbreak remains rampant in the region. The slow pace of Thai vaccinations might derail its plan for reopening of its most-popular tourist destinations in the fourth quarter, as the Southeast Asian nation remains in the grip of its worst wave of infections since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
“There’s been an overwhelming demand for vaccinations so the supply on hand has dwindled,” Thai Department of Disease Control Deputy Director-General Sopon Iamsirithawon said. “But we’re trying to manage the situation.”
Thailand is facing a vaccine shortage as Siam Bioscienc, a company linked to the Thai monarchy, is reportedly delaying the delivery of vaccines contracted by jurisdictions such as Taiwan, the Philippines and Malaysia, from AstraZeneca, a Reuters report said.
AstraZeneca and Siam Bioscience did not immediately respond to requests for comments.
The Thai government expects an additional supply of 1.5 million doses from AstraZeneca later this week, which are to be sent to the Bangkok region, the epicenter of the current outbreak, Sopon said.
Thailand administered nearly 2 million shots during the first week of the mass rollout that began on Monday last week, well short of its target of 500,000 doses a day. It has injected 6.2 million doses so far, enough to cover about 4.4 percent of its population. It has a target to inoculate 70 percent of its residents by the end of this year.
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