The Thai government will not currently obtain Covid-19 vaccines through the World Health Organization-backed Covax program because the conditions are too strict. The move could put the country at risk of getting delayed vaccines at higher prices.
Under the program, Thailand will be charged extra for the booking, and it will be limited to the producers and the 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.
“Obtaining the vaccines directly from the producers will be flexible because we can decide how much we are going to buy and also negotiate prices, which can lead to a cheaper price for large orders,” Nakorn said. Negotiations are still ongoing. With acceptable conditions, Thailand could obtain the vaccine through the Covax program in the future.
Thailand reported 490 new cases of the coronavirus on Saturday, raising the country’s total to 23,134. Of these, 18,897 infections have been reported since mid-December.
READ: Thailand launches Covid-19 vaccination program from February 14