BANGKOK – A private hospital in Thailand was ordered on Sunday to stop advertising COVID-19 vaccines for sale in advance, claiming that no vaccine has yet been approved in Thailand.
Vibhavadi Hospital told Reuters that its online offer of 1,000 initial reservations for the modern two-dose vaccine was the result of a misunderstanding. With reserves costing 4,000 baht, the total vaccination cost would be 10,000 baht (US $ 330).
As the first governments start delivering vaccines worldwide, questions arise about how limited supplies are prioritized and whether people can afford to escape the queue.
The Ministry of Health said in a statement that no COVID-19 vaccine has been approved for use in Thailand yet and that announcing one violated hospital regulations.
“The ad was ordered to be removed,” he said.
Chaisit Kupwiwat, a director at Vibhavadi Hospital, told Reuters: “There was a misunderstanding and then we stopped the program … We plan to order the vaccines, but now we stop.”
The hospital requested reservations until January 31 for vaccinations in late 2021.
Moderna did not immediately respond to an email request for comment on the sale.
Thailand has signed a prior agreement for AstraZeneca’s potential COVID-19 vaccine, but has yet to define implementation plans for any vaccine.
Moderna’s vaccine this month became the second to obtain emergency use authorization from the US Food and Drug Administration, after the Pfizer and BioNTech vaccine.
Moderna said it will deliver approximately 20 million doses to the United States government this year and between 100 million and 125 million are expected to be delivered globally in the first quarter of 2021.
In August, Moderna said it was pricing its vaccine at $ 32 to $ 37 per dose for smaller businesses.
Thailand is an important center for medical tourism, attracting patients from Asia, the Middle East and elsewhere.
(Additional reporting by Jiraporn Kuhakan; writing by Matthew Tostevin; editing by Jason Neely)
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