Private Thai Hospitals Seek 5 Million Doses of Moderna Vaccine

(Bloomberg) -- Thailand’s Private Hospital Association is expected to use Moderna Inc. shots for its own inoculation program alongside the government’s mass rollout of AstraZeneca Plc and Sinovac Biotech Ltd. vaccines.

The group of more than 200 private hospitals is currently reviewing orders from its members and will procure the vaccines through the Government Pharmaceutical Organization, government spokeswoman Traisuree Taisaranakul said on Sunday, citing the drug agency. The group is expected to order 5 million doses of Moderna vaccines, she said.

The Southeast Asian nation approved Moderna shots for local use on May 13, making it the fourth vaccine to get the nod from the country’s Food and Drug Administration after Sinovac, AstraZeneca, and Johnson & Johnson. The Thai government has so far relied on Sinovac and AstraZeneca in its vaccination drive, and it allows private firms to market alternative shots.

Thailand started its rollout on Feb. 28 but the pace has been restricted by a limited supply of vaccines, with just 2.9 million doses administered so far. The government plans to start a mass rollout on June 7 after it’s expected to receive millions of shots, and has set the target of administering 100 million doses before the end of 2021.

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