The Government Pharmaceutical Organisation (GPO) on Sunday offered an explanation as to why the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine injection service provided by a state agency costs far less than vaccines which the GPO imported for private parties.
The Moderna Covid-19 vaccine which the GPO is trying to supply to private hospitals through the Private Hospital Association is 100 microgrammes per dose, while the vaccine being offered by the state organisation is 50mcg per dose, the GPO said.
The GPO was apparently referring to Chulabhorn Royal Academy (CRA) which is calling for people to register if they want the Moderna vaccine as their booster shot. It costs 555 baht per person. The CRA is offering the Moderna booster shot to those who have received two shots of the inactivated virus Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine, a source said.
Private hospitals that several months ago allowed their customers to place an order for the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine as their first and second shots have yet to receive any supplies of the imported vaccine, but charge their customers between 1,600 baht and 1,700 baht per person per shot.
Worse, it is still unclear when the much-awaited vaccine will arrive.
That explains why, when the CRA announced last week that it would offer the Moderna booster shot at 555 baht per person, the news sparked anger on social media about the price differences.
Anan Jongkaewwattana, a virologist with the National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (Biotec), is among those with knowledge about the differences between the Moderna vaccine offered by the CRA and the one by private hospitals and who offered an explanation on social media.
"The Moderna booster shot requires half a dose of the standard 100mcg shot which, has proven to be effective to boost antibodies despite the cut in the amount of vaccine used," he said.
Citing results of a study, he said, the 50mcg dose booster shot of the Moderna vaccine boosts antibody levels by about 70% when compared with levels of antibodies measured one month after the second shot of the 100mcg dose vaccine.