Weekend city jab shutdown

Weekend city jab shutdown

Shortages, app snag hit vaccinations

A health worker administer a Covid-19 vaccine to a woman at the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce on May 25, 2021. (Photo: Nutthawat Wicheanbut)
A health worker administer a Covid-19 vaccine to a woman at the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce on May 25, 2021. (Photo: Nutthawat Wicheanbut)

A shortage in supplies of Covid-19 vaccines led to the weekend closure of 25 vaccination centres in Bangkok, while the "Mor Prom" app also cancelled all bookings scheduled for Friday and Saturday and has yet to resume offering new appointments.

Chairman of the Thai Chamber of Commerce (TCC) Sanan Angubolkul said on Sunday that supplies had not arrived as scheduled, forcing all 25 vaccination centres operated by the TCC and private sector in Bangkok to suspend operations until new deliveries are made.

Mr Sanan said that since the TCC vaccination centres opened two months ago, they have given up to 700,000 shots to the public and special groups.

"We have no choice but to close our vaccination centres from tomorrow [today] onward until we get more vaccines; we hope there will be spare vaccines allocated by the centre at Bang Sue Grand Station to help ease congestion there," he said.

He said that prior to the suspension, more than 2.4 million people had registered with the TCC's vaccination centres, but due to inadequate supplies there remains a long waiting list.

At the same time, the account for the "Mor Prom" application announced yesterday that due to a technical error, all bookings made for Friday and Saturday were cancelled and no further bookings would be taken until the app is fixed.

"People can still register directly on hospital websites. The Mor Prom team would like to apologise for the inconvenience," it said. It was unclear what caused the problem with the app or how long the repairs will take.

Meanwhile, at Bang Sue Grand Station yesterday, many aged 18–59 years old who had registered via three mobile phone operators were able to receive their AstraZeneca shot for the first time yesterday in a drive that will last until the end of this month.

In September, Bang Sue Grand Station will begin prioritising second shots until November, before work continues ahead of the official opening of the new terminal next year.

Meanwhile, the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) has approved the allocation of some 150,000 doses of the US-donated Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine to foreign residents in Thailand, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday.

The platform expatvac.consular.go.th is now open for foreign residents of all ages nationwide.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in coordination with the Ministry of Public Health, will arrange vaccination to those registered in accordance with priority criteria similar to those of Thai nationals, with the elderly, pregnant women and those with underlying chronic diseases being prioritised, it said.

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