Thailand's vaccination program is about to run into another roadblock. “We don’t have the personnel to inoculate millions in a quick amount of time, it will become a logistical issue next,” the source told Thai Enquirer on condition of anonymity. Thai Enquirer



Thailand's vaccination program is about to run into another roadblock

June 4, 2021

Thailand's vaccination program is set to hit another roadblock in the coming months as vaccines, both local and imported, start to become more available, a source inside the Ministry of Public Health told Thai Enquirer on Friday.

According to the source, even if millions of vaccines were suddenly available the country does not have the capacity to inoculate more than a set number per day creating a vaccination bottleneck.

"We don't have the personnel to inoculate millions in a quick amount of time, it will become a logistical issue next," the source told Thai Enquirer on condition of anonymity.

The government is now trying to increase capacity by carrying out training and opening new centers for inoculation, the source said.

"Right now there is a vaccine shortage but by the start of July we will have vaccines made in Thailand and imported from abroad," the source said. "Between now and then we have to increase our capacity to administer these vaccines per day and around the country."

One of the major hurdles in the way of the government's plans to increase its inoculation capacity has been the lack of coordination between various government ministries and organs.

For example, in Bangkok, the governor's office has pushed ahead with its own mandates at times contradicting or against ministry advice.

"The prime minister has assumed supreme command but he must make sure that those under him stop their fighting because it is getting in the way of steps which could save lives," the source told Thai Enquirer.