Pfizer has agreed to reserve 10-20 million doses of their COVID-19 vaccine for Thailand, expected to be delivered in the third and fourth quarters of this year, Deputy Prime Minister and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said today (Friday).
He said that the company made the pledge after his discussion with top executives of the company’s representative office in Thailand, while urging the company to submit relevant documents to the Thai Food and Drug Administration after the signing of a memorandum of understanding.
“The cooperation between the Public Health Ministry and Pfizer Thailand is going well. The Food and Drug Administration will facilitate and expedite the registration of Pfizer vaccine as soon as possible,” wrote the minister on his Facebook page.
According to Mr. Anutin, additional vaccine doses from Pfizer will be administered to youths aged 12-18 who have, so far, not been covered by the vaccines already procured by Thailand. Pfizer, he added, also agreed to sell its vaccines to the Thai private sector.
However, the minister declined to disclose the price of the Pfizer vaccine, claiming that it is confidential and its disclosure may cause problems for other buyers, but he promised that he would try to negotiate the most suitable price for Thailand.
“If other vaccine producers are ready to ship their vaccines to Thailand, and can specify the timeframe, they can contact the Public Health Ministry. We will listen to suggestions and are ready to cooperate,” he added, while confirming the country’s no-monopoly policy.
The Thai government aims to procure 100 million doses, to inoculate 50 million Thais and foreigners living in Thailand within this year, hoping to develop herd immunity.
