The Thai government will not procure Covid-19 vaccines through the Covax program supported by the World Health Organization for the time being, because the conditions are too strict. The move could jeopardize the country from receiving delayed vaccines at higher prices.
Under the program, Thailand would be charged extra for the reservation and would have limitations on producers and delivery period. Covax also requires a minimum purchase of 10% of a country’s population for a quick order, with conditions and costs, Nakorn Premsri, director of Thailand’s National Vaccine Institute, said in a statement late Saturday.
“Purchasing vaccines directly from manufacturers will be more flexible because we can decide how much we will buy and also negotiate prices, which can lead to a lower price for large orders,” Nakorn said. However, negotiations are continuing. Under acceptable conditions, Thailand could purchase the vaccine through the Covax program in the future.
Thailand reported 490 new cases of coronavirus on Saturday, bringing the nation’s total number to 23,134. Of these, 18,897 infections have been reported since mid-December.
READ: Thailand will begin the Covid-19 vaccination program on February 14