Front-line medics get donated Pfizer as US pledges another $55m for Thailand
Front-line health workers in Bangkok rolled up their sleeves to receive the first of 1.5 million Pfizer jabs donated by the US on Tuesday.
US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield hailed the health workers as Thai heroes as she witnessed the mRNA vaccine going into arms at MedPark Hospital in Klong Toei district. She also pledged another $55 million (1.85 billion baht) in relief aid for Thailand.
“This morning, I met frontline healthcare workers – Thailand’s heroes – as they received their first doses of the vaccine. And I was inspired to hear about their life-saving work,” said Thomas-Greenfield, who is visiting Thailand as President Joe Biden’s representative.
She said the US had stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Thailand for over 200 years.
“We do so much together, from our trade and people-to-people exchanges, to our steadfast military alliance, to our cooperation on public health.”
The 1.5 million Pfizer doses for Thailand are part of over half a billion doses that the US is donating to over 100 nations, “with no strings attached”, said a US Embassy press release.
“We are proud to say we will soon be providing another 1 million doses [for Thailand],” Thomas-Greenfield said.
“President Biden has committed America to providing vaccines to the world. He understands that no one is safe until everyone is safe.”
She added that the US government is also providing $55 million of additional aid, mainly to help Thailand’s humanitarian response to the crisis in Myanmar.
We are also providing assistance to support the pandemic response that will help alleviate the strain on Thailand’s health systems. Of this $50 million would “provide emergency food assistance, lifesaving protection, shelter, essential healthcare, water, sanitation, and hygiene services to vulnerable people from Myanmar, including more than 700,000 refugees and internally displaced people”.
The other $5 million will provide support to Thailand’s vaccination programme and ability to prevent, detect, and respond to Covid-19, she said.