The cabinet on Tuesday approved the Ministry of Public Health's proposal to buy 400,000 doses of AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccine from Hungary and to accept donations of 100,000 doses of Pfizer vaccine from Iceland and 346,000 doses of AstraZeneca from Germany.
Spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana said the Department of Disease Control willbe the Thai signatory of a bilateral agreement with Hungary for the purchase of 400,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine.
The agreement overs the transport of the vaccine, ownership and risks, secrecy, laws for the handling of disputes and indirect taxes/VAT.
The Department of Disease Control is also empowered to sign a tripartite agreement between Thailand, Hungary and AstraZeneca regarding indirect taxes/VAT, the delivery of the vaccine and and laws for the implementation of the agreement.
The spokesman said the purchase of the additonal vaccine is part of the plan to complete the acquisition of 126.2 million doses of Covid vaccine. The government is confident at least 70% of people in target groups will be inoculated by December this year.
The cabinet also acknowledged Iceland's wish to donate 100,000 doses of Pfizer vaccine and Germany's intention to donate 346,100 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine to Thailand.
Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul will sign the donation and delivery agreements with the two countries.
Iceland and Germany are expected to deliver the vaccine in October, Mr Thanakorn said.
