“I sent a letter to the Red Cross to buy 6,326 doses of the vaccine on July 19, but yesterday [July 22[ they sent a letter back and explained that they can arrange only 5,060 doses for Phuket,” Mr Rewat explained in a press conference this morning (July 23).
The 5,060 doses of Moderna will be used to vaccinate at-risk people who have not received any vaccination injections, Mr Rewat explained.
The priority list of recipients are:
- Bedridden patients, disabled people, pregnant women
- Elders who are more than 70 years old
- Doctors and medical staff who work in rural areas
- Teachers in kindergartens, nurseries and schools
- Officials who must come in close contact with infected and high risk contacts, and members of the general public who are unable to be vaccinated under the current state-vaccination campaign
“These people will receive the vaccine injection for free, and we already have a list of people to receive these doses of vaccine,” Mr Rewat said.
As revealed yesterday, Mr Rewat this morning added that the PPAO is looking to secure many more vaccine doses in order to provide third ‘booster shots’ to medical and other frontline workers, and to offer the people of Phuket a choice in which vaccine to receive.
“Actually, I have also already explained to the Thai Red Cross that we want a total of 89,329 doses of Moderna vaccine to provide to people as a third injection, but they can give us only the 5,060 doses for now. If they have vaccine doses leftover, they may give us more in the future,” he said.
“Meanwhile, I have also contacted a company that I cannot reveal its name to buy vaccine doses as the third dose for our people,” Mr Rewat continued.
“The vaccine will be Moderna or Pfizer. Basically, they will be the vaccines that our people desire to receive, and of course not Sinovac,” he said.
“The vaccine will be used as the third dose only, as the central government has provided the first and second doses,” he said.
“To receive the future third dose, people will have to register online, through a website like PhuketMustWin.com, but we will create our own new platform for registration,” he added.
Meanwhile, the PPAO is continuing its door-to-door efforts to ensure local residents are given the opportunity to be vaccinated, Mr Rewat said.
“We will work with medical staff to knock on doors to provide our people first and second injections vaccinations, especially for those who cannot come to receive the vaccine injection at the vaccination stations. For more information, please call the PPAO’s Phuket Provincial Hospital at 1131,” Mr Rewat concluded.