Agency demands fair distribution of Pfizer shots among medics
The Health Personnel Association of Thailand launched a campaign on Monday calling on the government to ensure every frontline medic gets a Pfizer shot and that the vaccine is equitably distributed.
The association’s campaign, titled “Every qualified frontline medical personnel should receive Pfizer”, was launched via Facebook.
“The association invites all frontline medics, who are qualified for a Pfizer shot and have registered, to co-sign the petition. This campaign calls on the government to provide the vaccine we deserve and to demonstrate the power of medical personnel. We have been requesting mRNA vaccines from the start, but now many of us are not eligible. Some hospitals insist on using Pfizer as booster shots only for medics who have received two doses of Sinovac, which does not follow the current criterion.
“The Pfizer vaccine is not being properly distributed as some provinces with low infection rates are getting more doses than the ones with higher infection rates.
“This is affecting our morale and having us question the distribution procedure,” the post read.
The association has also issued a list of steps it wants the Public Health Ministry to take to ensure the Pfizer vaccines are distributed fairly:
- Deliver Pfizer doses as a booster shot, two doses for the unvaccinated and as the second shot for those needing one. The vaccine must be delivered to every frontline medic who has registered. The government must meet the shortfall if the 700,000 doses allocated to frontline medics is inadequate.
- The government has to be transparent about how the doses are being distributed to provinces and hospitals.
- Show how many doses each province has sought and how many they are receiving.
- Provide details on the distribution of the second lot of Pfizer jabs for medics, including details on how much each province will be allocated.
The Health Personnel Association of Thailand is urging all qualified medical staff who have not received a Pfizer jab to click on https://tinyurl.com/WhereIsOurPfizer
or use the provided QR code to express their interest. Collected information will be used to push for fair policymaking, the post said.
Thailand has received a donation of 1.5 million Pfizer doses from the US and has put in an order for 10 million doses.
