Thailand's government, through the Thai Chamber of Commerce, said late Wednesday that the private sector and hospital groups have no need to order vaccines on their own as the government would be able to provide for all vaccine needs.
Thai Enquirer reported on Wednesday that private sector requests for the government to countersign vaccine acquisition orders were being ignored by the public health ministry. (Read more here)
The lack of government action came despite criticisms from opposition and coalition politicians over the lack of movement on vaccines and the government's stonewalling of the private sector's request.
Now, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha appears to be walking back promises made in a public address two weeks ago in which he promised to expedite and allow private hospitals to acquire their own vaccines to supplement the national pool.
The Thai Chamber of Commerce released a statement to private hospitals on Wednesday evening confirming the new direction following meetings it had with the prime minister. The statement, which was shared with the Thai Enquirer, reads as follows.
"The government has informed the Thai Chamber of Commerce that it has sourced enough vaccines to meet the requirement of every citizens, therefore the private sector does not need to buy any additional vaccines."
The news will likely spark outrage among critics of the government and the general public who accuse the Prayut administration of not doing enough to inoculate the people leading to a rapidly worsening third wave of Covid-19.
Among the major criticisms has been that the government has not moved fast enough on its vaccine acquisitions program – rejecting offers from Pfizer and Moderna in favor of Sinovacs and locally produced AstraZeneca variants.
It is unclear why the government has chosen to change directions announced just two weeks prior. Calls to Government House and the Ministry of Public Health were not returned.
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