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