Bangkok hospitals rush to meet mRNA vaccines demand as the government faces mounting pressure to get better Covid-19 vaccines.
Bumrungrad Hospital began accepting bookings to provide Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccine to unvaccinated people and healthcare workers.
Through its website, people can book an appointment to get the shot for 1,650 baht per dose starting Friday, Bumrungrad Hospital’s chief executive Dr. Artirat Charukitpipat said.
Dr. Artirat added that the hospital got fewer vaccinations than expected. Therefore, it is a priority to inoculate unvaccinated people and health workers who had received both doses of a Sinovac vaccine.
Patients would be also prioritized as the hospital has their treatment and drug reactions history.
As of now, the Bumrungrad Hospital can vaccinate 300 people per day.
Meanwhile, all appointments to get Moderna’s shots at Bangkok’s Phyathai 2 Hospital were snapped up within seconds after registration opened on Thursday.
Registration for Moderna’s jabs opened on Thursday’s noon, allowing each customer to book up to two doses at 1,650 baht per shot.
Individuals had to pay the full amount in advance to receive an exchangeable e-coupon that can be transferred to another recipient.
However, disappointed buyers complained that they tried to register for an appointment at 12:01 p.m., but they were all sold out.
In response, the hospital explained that all the doses allocated by the Government Pharmaceutical Organization had been booked, although the vaccine quota has not been disclosed.
The vaccine produced by Moderna is an alternative to the AstraZeneca and Sinovac shots that the government had purchased for its vaccination campaign with free jabs.
However, people have been asking the government and hospitals to get more mRNA-based shots, including Moderna’s jab, as they are highly effective against Covid-19 variants.
On Wednesday, the Mor Mai Thon group submitted a petition with 215,409 signatures to parliament to pressure the authorities to more purchase mRNA vaccines for Thais.
The group also asked the government to disclose information on the processes for acquiring and distributing vaccines, ensuring that they are transparent and open to the public.
Secretary to the parliament president Somboon Uthaiwiankul accepted the petition, but officials have not yet commented on the mRNA vaccine imports.
