Municipality keen to buy COVID vaccines with its own money

Mr Teerasak said administrators and council members floated the idea to save the government’s central budget, after the government said it was in a position to buy vaccines for only about 30 million people, just under half of the population.

The idea had been discussed between local administrations throughout the country as the COVID-19 situation was getting more serious every day, he said. Quick action was needed to control the pandemic.

The Nakhon Khon Kaen Municipality totally supported this idea. It had about 110,000 people under its jurisdiction and all of them should be inoculated, based on the names shown in the domicile registration, Mr Teerasak said.

The mayor said the municipality was only waiting for a clear policy and regulations regarding the acquisition of the vaccines from the central administration, including the Interior and Public Health ministries.

Once the regulations were in place, the council would convene and seek approval to buy vaccines using the municipality’s financial reserve.

Mr Teerasak estimated the total cost would be in the range B100-150 million. The municipality had enough money in its reserve, he said.

After the vaccines had been acquired, the municipality’s medical office would look into the details of distribution.

Mr Teerasak said if the government put in place a clear policy on this matter, he believed all local administrations would be ready to comply with it.