Purchase of Moderna jabs gets OAG nod
The Office of the Attorney-General (OAG) announced on Monday that it has approved the purchasing contract for Moderna Covid-19 vaccines.
In response to rumours that the OAG had delayed the purchase of Moderna vaccines, the office said on Friday that it was waiting to receive the contract from the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation (GPO).
“GPO sent us the contract on Friday afternoon after we made the statement,” OAG spokesman Itthiphon Kaewthip said on Monday.
“Attorney-General Wongsakul Kittipromwong ordered that the contract be reviewed urgently as it is of the utmost importance. The legal department had been working through the weekend to ensure the contract was approved and returned to the GPO first thing on Monday.
“The Office of the Attorney-General is committed to working with all parties to resolve the Covid-19 crisis as best as we can,” said Itthiphon. “The office does not have any vaccine purchasing contracts to review. We have yet to receive contracts related to the purchase of Sputnik and Johnson and Johnson vaccines.”
Moderna is an mRNA vaccine that has been registered for use in Thailand and will be imported by Zuellig Pharma. According to the World Health Organisation, the Modern jabs will be administered to people above the age of 18 with a difference of 28 to 42 days between doses. Studies show the vaccine is about 94.1 per cent effective against Covid-19 some 14 days after the first dose.