US Embassy Bangkok published yesterday on its Facebook page that it would donate 1.5 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine to Thailand.
The $30-million-worth batch would arrive in the country on July 29, Disease Control Department’s director-general Opas Karnkawinpong said.
On Tuesday afternoon, US Embassy Bangkok wrote on social media that the vaccine donation is intended to help Thailand and other countries in the region accelerate their vaccination campaigns.
The north-American nation expects the doses provided to neighboring countries to allow governments to keep their populations safe and boost their economies’ recovery.
Health officials said the Pfizer jabs would be used to inoculate high-risk groups, including front-line medical personnel, healthcare workers, and the elderly
People registered with the US Embassy stated they had received emails saying vaccines are underway starting next week.
The US donation of vaccines has been warmly received. However, US citizens living in Thailand have complained that some shots are not explicitly earmarked for them.
In another Tuesday development, the government signed a supply agreement with Ms. Deborah Seifert, an executive of Pfizer Thailand and Indochina, to obtain 20 million doses of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine.
The vaccine batch is scheduled to arrive in the fourth quarter of this year, authorities said.
Deputy Prime Minister and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul stated the Thai government had been working closely with the firm for the past three months.
The Thai Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Pfizer vaccines for emergency use in late June as the kingdom’s sixth coronavirus jab.
Mr. Anutin explained the Pfizer shots could be administered to individuals age 12 or older while the other five vaccines approved in the kingdom could be used for people aged 18 and over.
The government has reportedly planned to purchase another 50 million doses in 2022.
